31 Days of Halloween
by twilight fanfic advocacy
Summary: A new one shot each day for the entire month...they can be any pairing, any genre, you really just don't know what you will get with them.  We will have a different author for each one shot- all based on picture prompts.  Rated M just in case!
1. Announcement

**31 days of Halloween Announcement**

**Hello Ladies and Gents. It's getting to be that time of year again when the undead and spooky shit come to life. The ladies here at TFA have come up with an exciting new adventure to this coming Halloween season and wanted to include our wonderful group members.**

**Thirty-one days of Horrorific Halloween.**

**Here's the deal. We want to have a one shot every day throughout the month of October.**

**The twist? Each one shot is based off of a Halloween related picture, you won't know what you'll get until you read it. Scary or not, lemony or not, real or ghost life? This is not a contest just a way to celebrate a Halloween season.**

**Some general rules for the entries:**

**The writer has the option to write whatever they what, sweet or sassy, horror or scary.**

**Lemons are not required but of course we like them.**

**NO RAPE OR INSEST.**

**Death is okay, if that's what you want to do. No complaints here.**

**Min of 1000 max 10,000.**

**Now that you know what you are getting into, click the button and begin to read! All picture prompts can be seen at www(.)tfadvocacy(.)blogspot(.)com, just simply take out the parentheses. **

**Enjoy…or not! Bwaaaahaaaaaaaa**


	2. Day 1 bnjwl

Day 1

Title: The Sweet Kiss of Revenge  
>Author: bnjwl<br>Rated: M  
>Pairing: RosalieRoyce-later Rosalie/Emmett  
>Word count:5, 236<br>Picture prompt: 1 (picture can be found at~ tfadvocacy dot blogspot dot com)

Summary: Rosalie falls in love with Royce and follows him to college. Her life seems glamorous but underneath there is a side of that life that she doesn't intend to live. When she balks Royce and his friends decide to show her that they have the upper hand, or do they? (This is my take on her back story from Eclipse.)

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Twilight or any of it's characters. I just use them for my own enjoyment occasionally. All other publicly recognized people or places don't belong to me either. Enjoy…

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><p><span>The Sweet Kiss of Revenge~bnjwl<span>

Rosalie's point of view

My life was nearly perfect. I had a big home in the nicest neighborhood, went to the best private schools and attended all of the required social functions in town with my parents. My dad took great pleasure in flaunting me around in front of all of the eligible men around town. He had high aspirations for me, he wanted me to marry well, raise a few kids, host a few charity events per year and spend my husband's money. And to be honest it was a lifestyle that had worked for my mom so I wasn't too opposed to that plan.

That all changed when I met Royce King at the benefit dinner that the company my dad works for hosted. Royce's dad owned half the businesses in town. Royce was at Harvard Law School and came home for the summer. One of his father's businesses was a small time music label and Royce wanted to study law to work at the label writing contracts and such. He wanted a high profile job that brought him lots of opportunities to rub elbows with all the other major players in town.

After that night we were inseparable. He was the talk of the town. He had all the right qualities to ensure that he'd go far in life. We spent the summer going to the movies, clubs, out to dinner, and every single major social event in the city. He spent lots and lots of money to make sure we both looked good and to be honest it flattered me that he lavished that much attention on me. I was too caught up in it, I can see that now. I can also see all the signs of Royce's bad side that I overlooked back then too. His anger issues, his possessiveness towards me, and most of all his drinking and drug use. At the time he would buy me gifts and beg me to forgive him when he messed up. It made me feel loved; little did I know that I was playing right into his hands.

When summer was over Royce went back to school and instead of going off on my own, I followed him. My dad was thrilled that Royce was paying me some attention. It was a match made in heaven if you asked him. We both would benefit from it, him by Royce's father's business contacts and me from the high society life I would live when we got married. In fact when Royce suggested I move in with him when we both arrived at Harvard for school, Dad even agreed. I heard him tell my mom to mind her business because if I got knocked up before Royce proposed then it would be no big deal since the family could take care of us with no problems. It would mean a certain marriage between us then, so he encouraged it. I packed up what little belongings I needed to take with me and drove off with Royce.

I was thrilled at the new opportunities that I was heading off towards. And in the beginning life was good. I cooked, cleaned and took care of Royce while I attended school myself. Our apartment was paid for by his dad so neither of us had to work. We went to class and then partied whenever we could. I enjoyed the freedom and was looking forward to finding myself. Well apparently Royce had other ideas for me.

He talked about the casino party for weeks. He was so excited about this specific party; he said he couldn't wait to do some high stakes gambling. He was all keyed up that night while we were getting ready for it. He sent me back three times to change what I was wearing. When I finally passed his inspection we left the apartment. I was still in shock about it all since usually he told me to cover up more and this time he was telling me to wear less. We arrived and did our fair share of drinking. Royce also left my side several times and I was sure he was ducking off to do some type of drugs. But I knew better than to question him about it. I kept my mouth shut and sat with the other girlfriends talking about all sorts of things and dancing on their make shift dance floor.

After several hours I popped in to see Royce because I was tired and ready to go home. When I got to the table there were five guys left playing. Royce laid his cards down and stood when I walked into the room. He pulled me aside to talk to me.

"Rose, listen, baby, I have to tell you something; the hands got kind of out of control tonight and well I had a great hand so I bet high. Turns out I was beaten by Kyle; so you have to spend the weekend with him. He'll bring you home on Sunday night. Okay? Now, you go and be a good girl for me. Kyle will take care of you, he's a good guy." I was livid to say the least.

"Royce, what the fuck are you smoking? I am not going to go and spend the weekend with your frat brother, I don't give a damn if you lost or not. You don't gamble with a human being!" My voice got louder with each word I said and Royce was starting to get angry at my defiance. I didn't give two fucks about his anger though. He should have thought about that before he gambled and lost.

Several of the frat brothers showed up, including Kyle. "Royce, is there a problem?" Royce looked nervous for the first time in his life. Normally he was super cool and in control. He licked his lips and his eyes pleaded with me to just go along with it. I was so angry I would have taken them all on at that point in time.

"Yes, Kyle, there is a problem. Royce here thinks he can gamble with his girlfriend as the prize and his girlfriend disagrees." I put my hand on my hip and tried to make myself look more menacing that ever.

"Now, sweet Rosalie, don't be like that. We do this every year. It's just a fun time for all of us. We get to try out something new without anyone getting hurt." His hand drifted over and he ran a single finger along my arm as he spoke to me. His voice dropped down to a husky whisper. I guess he thought that he would turn me on and then I would fall right into his arms.

"Come on, babe, it's just one weekend. Kyle was excited to be spending it with you, you should be flattered." Royce just pissed me off the more he spoke. I couldn't believe how sick these guys were to just think that they can pass around the girls that they supposedly loved and cared for.

I shoved Royce as hard as I could and he fell back into another frat brother that I didn't know. "Well you all can go fuck yourselves because this girl is not flattered and she is not spending the night much less weekend with anyone in this room." I shoved past Kyle as well.

Kyle spoke to a few of the other brothers and several hands stopped me before I made it to the doorway. They drug me back to the far corner and into a doorway I didn't see before.

Kyle slapped me hard across my face. "Listen here you little cunt, you will shut your fucking mouth and do what you are told if you know what is good for you. You hear me? Now, we can do this the hard way or the easy way, which one do you want?" He began to unbuckle his pants as he talked. I began to panic and tried to make my plan. All of the survivor shows tell you that in an emergency you need a clear plan that you stick to no matter what. You need something that will keep your mind focused, something to keep you from giving up hope.

I don't know that I had a plan but I knew that no matter what if I got out of that room with my life that each and every one of those guys would pay with their lives. I would take from them what they took from me…they took away my freedom, my ability to still believe in good things and good people, to trust people. I would get my revenge somehow, some way.

I finally came to and searched the room for my clothes. I dressed in what was left and stumbled away from the suite. My head felt heavy, a fog seemed to swirl around me as I moved. My body protested with each step and I had to move slowly, oh so slowly because if I moved too fast my brain began to move as if I was on a tilt a whirl. I knew without a doubt that I was fucked up and good. I searched the few people that remained and found some money in one guys pants right by the door. I took it and left trying to make my way home. I had to get there and get my shit out of our apartment. I needed to find a place to live and in the midst of all of it, I needed to call my parents. They would help me.

I took a cab to the hospital first. I wanted to make sure that I showed up exactly as I looked they needed pictures and testes. They needed proof to put the assholes in jail. After several hours, lots of doctors, talking with numerous police officers and too many pictures to name, I was heading home with a police escort to get my belongings. It all changed when I walked into the door of our apartment.

The investigating officer pulled Royce aside while I packed up only what I needed, the rest of the shit I didn't care about. I could hear bits and pieces of the conversation from our bedroom. Not enough to know what was being said but enough to panic a little because everything seemed calm, way too calm for Royce to be accused of gang raping me and too calm for the police to be taking him seriously.

I stopped in the doorway and stood watching them talk, their bodies pressed closely together and the investigator furiously writing down what Royce was saying. My heart skipped a beat because maybe, just maybe Royce had seen the error of his ways and was coming clean. That thought left my head suddenly when Royce turned to see that I stood watching him and smiled a smile filled with pure evil. I knew right then and there that Royce, his money and his friends would win.

Two weeks later the blood tests confirmed what Royce told the investigator. That I was a crack whore that took advantage of the party and fucked everyone in the room. At least three different types of illegal drugs showed up in my blood. Royce told them I had a long standing drug problem and he was trying his best to get me clean. I was angry at him because he no longer would let me live with him until I got clean. So I went to the party, fucked them all and told my lies about them to get back at him. With their money and family influence it all made sense to the investigator so he dropped the case. He told me to check in and get clean, I just smiled and thanked him for the advice. I walked away from Royce and found a way to carry on.

I called my parents but they believed the lies as well. Royce got to them first and then his father called my father. He told him that he was sure the bad influence of his daughter would in no way harm their working relationship since he obviously wouldn't ever condone my actions. My father agreed. With one phone call my parents cut me out of their life. One!

I went to the housing department and begged for anything they had. The good thing is that my scholarship paid for room and books so I was set, for now. I took a small room at the back of the campus in this old building that was barely standing. I didn't care it was mine and I was away from Royce.

I met several friends in the building and eventually began to hang out with them. I knew without a doubt why the liked the building, they weren't the social kind if you know what I mean. They stuck to themselves, only. They all dressed in black, wore dark eyeliner and died their hair jet black. They were the kinds of people that I would have never hung around with before Royce. But now…they accepted me and I felt like I belong suddenly. My heart was as black as their clothes, hair and the makeup that lined their eyes. I was now that person. One night after several bottles of liquor we shared our stories. Each of theirs was as fucked up as mine was. They came from broken homes and had some sort of tragedy in their pasts. Mine fit in with theirs but was by far the worst thing that had. After that night we certainly forged a bond. We relied on each other; we forged a family with each other, bonded by our pasts and hurts.

Each had a skill that they taught me. Edward taught me how to hack into the computers and fuck with their grades, classes and eventually their money. Alice and Bella taught me how to defend myself; they knew several different styles of self-defense martial arts. It all seemed like a strange mix of info for two small emo girls to have but it made sense to me. They needed to protect themselves and I now did as well. Jasper taught me strategy and Emmett taught me how to handle several different types of weapons. Bella and Jasper helped in this area as well, seems all three of them came from either military or police families. When our time was done with college I was a fighting machine, I knew weapons, I knew logistics and strategy, I knew enough self-defense to protect myself and I was ready for the task that I had been dying to take on for almost three years.

With Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Bella and Edward by my side we searched each and every member of Royce's fraternity out. Watched them, stalked them, learned them and then slowly killed them. Alice and Bella spent a lot of time studying forensics so we knew what to do to prevent leaving a trace of evidence. After all who would believe it was a woman…there hadn't been a woman serial killer for years. And in the grand scheme of things I was long forgotten so who would look for me? Besides I was nobody anymore. I changed my name, I changed my hair, I changed everything about me. No one but the five people I went home to even knew I existed any longer.

Twelve men in all died. Each lived in a different state, each had different jobs, and they had nothing in common on the surface. So I got away with twelve murders. Each one made me sick to my stomach, each one brought up the pain, the fear, the regret again. But I forced myself to commit each one, I had to. I had to exorcise my demons somehow. This seemed to be the only way.

The last two remained…Kyle and Royce. I'm sure by now they knew, I hoped that they knew. I did notice that each of them had doubled the bodyguards around them. Royce was the lawyer for his dad's music label and who knew what Kyle did but he seemed to be employed there as well.

I finally found my chance; Kyle and Royce flew out to meet with a new client that Mr. King wanted to sign. Edward had learned to tap their phones so we knew every single move they made by now. Jasper, Emmett and I booked a flight and arrived about an hour ahead of them. We set ourselves up in a hotel room a few floors below them. Jasper and Emmett made their way up to their rooms and bugged it so we would be able to hear them from our room. We didn't want any surprises from them at all. Our plan had to go off without any hitches.

I donned the maid's uniform and went about the floor; I even pretended to clean up a few rooms. The guests that get those rooms will sure be surprised when they open those doors. Anyway, I dyed my hair and didn't wear make-up. I put on a bra that squished my boobs down, anything I could think of to disguise my looks. I made it past their security but then again that was no accomplishment, they didn't know me so I didn't want to celebrate at all. The one good thing was that I had the maid's cart so I could carry almost any weapon with me that I needed.

I snuck into Kyle's room first. I made my way around the room for a few minutes until I could feel the tension drain from him. I made my way into the bathroom and pretended to clean it up. I really just took the time to fill the syringe that I would need to sedate him while I set up the room for the cops. I made my way back out into the large open room, I thrilled when I noticed that his back was to me. I snuck up and stabbed him in the back of the neck with the syringe.

When he fell to the floor I drug him into the bedroom. I took off his clothes and tied his ass to the bed. I wrapped the pantyhose around his neck and placed the pre-filled condoms. I put out the gay porn, and all the accessories to make it look like Kyle was living a double life. Like he had a secret lover, a gay lover. That in itself would not make any news but within the fraternity it would. Kyle was the more outspoken with his archaic ideas of what love could and couldn't be. I wanted him to look like a hypocrite, and a liar. I knew that finding him with a hooker wouldn't faze his family, nor would the drugs that would be found in his system. All of those they would handle but to make him look like a homosexual, well that was just deplorable in their eyes. It would shame them and cause the gossipmongers to start their tongues wagging.

I wanted no ties to me what so ever. I wanted it to look like a whole different scenario all together. I wanted doubt to rock the whole fraternity. It was wrong but a thrill shot through me! I was enjoying the pain, the shame, the disgust that everyone would feel! I wanted them to feel what I felt after their brutal attack on me. I took some of his belongings and then injected him one last time…this time it would stop his heart. He would die tied to a bed, in a supposed gay lovers tift, he would never know it was me that inflicted this kind of punishment on him. That was my biggest regret.

I made up my mind right then and there that Royce would look at me, he would know it was me. The punishment would be sweeter because he knew it was me. He would know that he didn't get away with it like he thought he did.

As much as I hated it, I had to let Royce go this time; otherwise it would look suspicious for both of them to die in different ways at the same hotel at the same time. I walked away knowing that Royce would be left with some questions, that's the thing about them…they all know that deep down they are all assholes that can't be trusted. They know that there are secrets to be kept, so when one comes out it is not hard to believe it, even if it isn't true. Some friends they really are, they turn at the drop of a hat.

It took another two years before I could get Royce. This time Jasper and Edward intercepted a phone call to this cleaning service. He needed a new maid because his old one apparently took a coke from the fridge without his permission. I looked up her name and gave her a bonus with some of the money that I had been stealing from Royce's account each month. Lucky for me that his accountant was stealing too or else he might have found me out.

I showed up for work at the normal time. Royce's lazy ass was still in bed, his current honey was just leaving. I kept my head down and cleaned the kitchen as she walked out the front door. I placed a quick text to Em letting him know that we would be ready a lot sooner than I thought and he was to bring the other items that I needed.

I made my way to Royce's room and knocked him across the back of his nasty head. I knew that it would keep him out cold till Emmett could get there. I tied him to his bedposts then ransacked his apartment and took whatever I wanted to take. I had quite a haul after it was all done. I also planned to clean out his accounts, first putting his money in the off shore accounts that his accountant had then I would secretly change them over to my accounts. That way if the police looked into the murder they would suspect the accountant and a host of other people first. My name wouldn't even come up to be honest. I made sure of it. But it was certainly going to be fun to watch other's suffer at his hands again.

Emmett made his way up the stairs and I waved him into the living room. He took in the scene and nodded his approval at my thorough job. I took the equipment that he brought me and sent him on his way. I didn't want him to see me do this and I certainly didn't want him transferring any evidence here at the crime scene.

As strange as it sounded I wanted Emmett to think of me as his girl Rosie, not the cold blooded killer that I would be today. Call me insane for this silly thought but a girl's got to keep a few things to herself. I mean he knew for sure what I had planned that day, he taught me half of what I would need to know in there. But it was easy to pretend if you didn't have a visual to cross your brain each and every time you close your eyes.

I laid the bag down just inside the doorway and took out what I needed. Two simple items, a scalpel and some acid, it was small time acid but it would get the job done. I mean I didn't want to burn his body away before I was ready, I just wanted to inflict some serious pain with it.

I made my way back to his room and checked the ties around his wrists and ankles. They were secure and wouldn't come loose for any reason. I knew my knots that was for sure. I slapped Royce to wake him up and being the pussy that he was, it only took one. He came to right away and fear immediately took over his eyes. He knew his day had arrived. I'm pretty sure he now knew that all those other random killings weren't so random after all.

"Ro, sweetie, I have been so worried about you. Wh..where have you been, I tried and tried to get in touch with you." I pulled the scalpel up and let the light glint off of it, twisting it side to side so that the reflection flashes across Royce's eye line.

"Oh, I see how worried you were. Just shut your fucking mouth, I'll do all the talking today." I threw my body down on him, across his lap. He took in my body. It was much more toned and sculpted than when we were together. In fact, I was a fucking knock out now, then…yeah I was pretty but not like now. His eyes raked across the leather cat suit I had on with the knee high leather Louboutin boots. I could feel him getting hard under me and I almost vomited on him right then. I reached up and punched him in the face.

"What the fuck Ro?" He stretched his arm to touch his nose, it was certainly broken. I didn't care and in a few minutes that would be the least of his problems. I spent the next few hours torturing him, slicing small cuts along his skin and pouring the acid in them. I watched him scream and writhe in pain. I wanted to feel sadness at his predicament but I couldn't. He didn't feel a single amount of sadness when his friends used me repeatedly. He didn't care when they slapped me around when I would come to and fight them off. He didn't care when I was ravaged so badly that I would no longer be able to carry children because of him. His simple weekend ruined my life and this one would ruin his. My mind shut down after a few hours and I don't really know all of the punishment I inflicted upon him, I just know what I was doing when Bella and Alice came to get me.

In two hours I had successfully drained Royce's bank account and then transferred it to mine without a trace, courtesy of Jasper and Edward's brilliance of course. I had also decimated Royce's body to the point where they would need dental records to successfully identify him. His body was still tied to the bed but the life had long since drained out of it. I stood and looked at him, just lying there. I wanted to feel sadness that it took this kind of act to take away my pain but I couldn't. In fact I felt the opposite of sadness, I felt light, and for the first time in a long time…happy. I was ready to get the hell out of here. I wanted to start my life with Emmett now. For years Alice and Jasper have been dating each other, Bella and Edward as well. I held out. I wanted to date Emmett, to go out and be with him; to hold his hand and kiss his mouth. But I made myself promise that I would do it when I was whole and ready to fully give myself to him. I couldn't do it before then. Now it was all in place, I could do it without regrets. We had the money to go anywhere and do anything we wanted, thanks to the asshole lying in the bed. Now I wanted to be as far away from here as I could be. Right the fuck now.

I snapped out of my trance and cleaned my shit up. I took all of my tools and wrapped them up in my bag. I took anything that would leave a clue for the police and planted the items to lead them in the directions that I wanted them to go. It was pretty easy if I'm being honest about it. The cops are usually too overworked and tired to really look past what is right there in their face. I couldn't blame them, I'm actually just that good. I took one last look around and left the one item I wanted them to find. The skull with the bright red lip marks on it. Royce always said I had the prettiest lips. He loved them, usually wrapped around his cock of course but still loved them anyway. I thought it was only befitting him that I left that one clue for anyone smart enough to look for it.

"Royce, I'm done with you. Enjoy the sweet kiss of revenge!" I laughed as I left the room and his body for the last time.

Bella and Alice must have arrived with Emmett because when it was time to leave they both joined me and we walked out of the house together. I locked the front door and made my way to the car. No words were spoken as we made our way home. We had all decided that we would separate for while. Meet back up later because we were a unit, a family but for now we needed distance. Time to foster our relationships with the person that knew our faults and loved us anyway somehow. We all deserved that much.

When we piled out of the car the boys were a flurry of activity. Jasper was packing shit from him and Alice. Edward was doing the same for him and Bella. Emmett and I had already packed our stuff so he helped me from the car and we began to dispose of the evidence I brought with me. When my clothes and the other items were burned beyond recognition we packed them into a garbage bag and threw them in the trunk. They would be thrown away three or four states away.

When the activity was all completed we all sort of stood in a circle, giving each other a silent goodbye. The only words spoken were from Jasper to me. It was a whisper but I understood it and appreciated those words beyond any measure. "I took care of your daddy's business as well. My little gift to you." I nodded my acceptance and we scattered like roaches at dawn.

I had changed into a yellow sundress and some sandals. We took the convertible, with the top down. Emmett laced his fingers through mine and we both released a cleansing smile that turned into a full belly laugh as we drove away. I'm sure a professional would deem me clinically insane to be able to kill the number of people that I did, but I beg to differ. I was insane then, now I am normal again. The sweet kiss of revenge brought me back to life.


	3. day 2 lvtwilight09

**31 Days of Halloween**

**Author: lvtwilight09 **

**Title: Pipistrello**

**Rated: M**

**Pairing: Bella/Edward**

**Word count: 3,483**

**Picture prompt #: 2**

**Summary: Bella and Edward invite the new couple in town to their Halloween get together, where they let them in on a few secrets about the town they live in.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does. I just enjoy trying to put her characters into spooky situations. **

**BPOV **

**October 31, 2011**

Walking around the house, I put the finishing touches on the decorations for the party tonight, and check to make sure that the guest rooms are set up and ready. Hearing the front door shut, I glance at the clock and realize that Edward must be home from work and head downstairs to greet him.

"Hi baby" He says to me as he leans down to give me a kiss hello.

"Hey hun" I reply as I kiss him back. "How was work?"

"Short. I don't know why I bothered going in. I should have followed your lead and just taken off."

I bit my tongue to keep from saying 'I told you so' but the truth is, I did tell him. Everyplace here in Pipistrello closes at noon on Halloween every year. I didn't see the point in bothering to open up my shop today at nine just to close three hours later. Plus I needed the extra time to make sure everything was set up here.

"So, who all is coming this year?" Edward asks.

"Emmett and Rose, Jasper and Alice, Angela and Ben, and that new couple who moved in down the block – Mike and Jessica Newton."

"What about Kate and Garrett?"

"No, they went out of town. They decided to go to Salem this year…wanted to do the whole haunted, spooky Halloween thing."

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, Edward rolls his eyes as he mutters under his breath.

"As if there isn't enough spooky around _this_ damn town," he mumbles lowly.

"Hey," I say back to him as I smack him with my dust rag. "You love living here. Even if this town does have its…_quirks_. Besides, we only have to deal with it one night a year. It isn't that bad."

I see Edward smirk, and I know I've won. He may put up a front sometimes, but I know he loves living here. That doesn't mean that we didn't go through an adjustment period the first few years as we got used to how things were done around here. I guess we should have asked more questions when we found a five bedroom, three and a half bath house within our price range, but we've been here now for ten years, and we couldn't be happier, especially now since we were expecting our first child, a boy, due in January.

Glancing at the clock I realize that the trick or treaters will be coming around soon, and I still need to get showered and dressed.

"Edward, I'm going to go run upstairs and get ready. Keep an ear out for the neighborhood kids? They should be starting to be going door to door soon."

Pulling me to him, Edward starts kissing up my neck, his hands traveling south to grab my ass.

"Mmm, but what if I want to join you and help you get ready Mrs. Masen" he whispers in my ear.

Taking a breath to regain my senses, because really I never can focus when he's nibbling on my neck like that, I step back from him and say "Well then _Mr. Masen,_ you should have thought about that and stayed home from work today like I did. As much as I would love for you to have your wicked way with me, trick or treaters will be coming round any moment now and our friends will probably be here in less than an hour."

Sighing, Edward pouts as he lets me go, but I can feel his eyes on me as I ascend the stairs. Just as I reach the top step, the doorbell rings and I again have to bite my tongue to keep myself from saying 'I told you so' as the first of the trick or treaters pay us a visit.

Half an hour later, Edward's headed upstairs to get ready and I'm back downstairs and making sure the food is all ready to go in the oven for when our friends arrive. As I move around the kitchen and try not to get too frustrated about my baby belly getting in my way, I'm grateful that we decided to forego the costumes this year and keep the get together low key…just dinner and some scary movies. I can only imagine what costume I would have ended up with, considering once we told everyone I was pregnant, Emmett started in with the suggestions for me being a bun in the oven for Halloween.

After another forty five minutes and about twenty trick or treaters later, Edward is helping me with the kitchen, and our friends should be arriving any minute. As if on cue, the doorbell sounds again and when I open the door, Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Alice are waiting to be let in.

A short while later, Ben, Angela, Mike and Jessica arrive as well. We spend some time just chit chatting, and mostly getting to know Mike and Jessica since they've just moved to town a few weeks ago. I had met Jessica when she came into my book shop one day, and we got to talking. That's when we realized we lived on the same street. We've hung out a few times since then, and she and her husband seem like nice people, although I don't think they know everything they need to about living in Pipistrello.

Once everyone is in the house and settled, we sit in the dining room for a late lunch/early dinner and just spend the time catching up with each other. For the most part, we're a tight knit group, but we've all been a bit busy lately and haven't gotten to hang out as much as we used to.

After the food is gone, we head into the den and relax as we continue our conversations.

"So you guys bought the old Banner house down the street?" Emmett asks.

"Yeah. We fell in love it the minute we saw it," explains Jessica. "It had everything we wanted in a house."

"The price wasn't bad either," Mike adds.

As soon as Mike mentions the price, we all exchange looks. We all know why houses are so cheap here, but apparently the real estate agent never filled the Newtons in on the reason for the affordability of homes here.

"So how are you guys liking it here?" Rosalie asks.

"It's great," replies Mike. "I mean, we lived in Seattle before this, so moving to a small town is an adjustment, but everyone here has been really nice and welcoming."

"Although," chimes in Jessica. "I've never seen a town celebrate Halloween quite like they do here. You'd think it was a government holiday the way the kids have off from school and practically everything closing at noon."

"There's good reason for that Jessica" Jasper states. "Has anyone told you the history of our little town?"

Mike and Jessica shake their heads no, while the rest of us settle in and get comfortable. Jasper is the history teacher at the high school, so he knows the town history better than just about anyone. Plus he always was one for spooky stories, so he tends to enjoy sharing the history with new people whenever he gets the chance.

"Well then, I suppose I should fill you in. The story of Pipistrello is a perfect tale for Halloween." Jasper explains, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Pipistrello was founded back in 1821 by a small group of people who were looking to move west. They thought this area was ideal because there were fresh water sources, game available for hunting in the nearby woods, and the ground was good for farming. It was for them, an ideal place. What they failed to realize at the time though, was that within the woods, there were several caves with underground cavern systems. These caves were home to thousands of bats.

"At first the bats weren't much of a problem, they only came out at night and never really bothered anyone. However, as more and more people settled here and set up farms, the bats became problematic, biting and feeding off of the livestock of the local farmers. The worst year was 1917. Besides the flu epidemic which hit the townspeople hard, the bats were especially vicious that year, and over three quarters of the livestock had to be put down because they contracted rabies from the bites.

"About ten years after that, a man named Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme moved in to town. He was a scientist, and had heard about the problems with the bats. He thought he could create some sort of solution to the problem. He thought he could devise some sort of way to sterilize the bats to keep them from breeding so that they would eventually be eradicated.

"Everyone on the town council agreed to the plan because the reality was that no one could afford the financial losses they were being hit with from being stuck with sick livestock that had to be put down. All the men from town helped him set up traps so he could catch the bats and bring them back to his lab and do his work.

"After a few months, Dr. Cullen's sterilization plan seemed to be working. There were fewer and fewer bats being seen, and less and less livestock getting sick. Everything changed though that fall. Some said it was fate, some said it was coincidence, and others said it was the devil himself who orchestrated it, but whatever the reason, Dr. Cullen's methods backfired. He had been using some sort of injection on the bats, and whatever he used caused them to mutate.

"It was Halloween night 1928 when the first attack happened. There had been very few to no bat sightings for over a month, so when the people saw a bat or two they really thought nothing of it. Within minutes, hundreds, if not thousands of bats started flying through town, attacking any of the townspeople they came across, including Dr. Cullen and his wife.

"Over one hundred people were killed that night by the bats. The records say that the bats literally sucked the soul out of anyone they bit. With Dr. Cullen dead, everyone panicked. No one knew what to do because Dr. Cullen never really kept records of his work. All anyone found in his lab were syringes and bottles of different solutions and chemicals.

"People started to get nervous about going out after dark after that, but the bats never showed up again, at least not until the next Halloween. The same thing that happened the year before happened again, except there were more bats than the last time. At least this time, people remembered what happened and as soon as they saw the bats, they ran into their houses and barricaded themselves inside until morning.

"That's why there's no school here on Halloween and all the business shut down early. It's so people can have their fun and celebrate before night falls. No one has dared to venture out after dark on Halloween in this town on over seventy years. Every year without fail, the bats descend. No one knows why they only show up on Halloween, but as long as you're inside, you're safe. But if you dare go outside, you'll end up bled dry with your soul sucked out."

As Jasper wraps up his story, I catch Mike and Jessica glancing out the window, and looking at the now almost fully set sun.

"Oh Jasper, that's got to be just the silliest superstition." Jessica giggles.

"Besides," chuckles Mike. "Even if it was true, why hasn't anyone tried calling in specialists to deal with the bats in all the time that's past. Surely with all the scientific developments that have occurred, something would be able to get rid of the bats."

"This is not just some spooky Halloween story," hisses Alice. "Have you ever looked closely at the town crest on the welcome sign by Main Street? Do you even know what Pipistrello means?"

"We saw the sign when we drove past the town hall when we moved in; I just glanced at it, but didn't have an eagle or something on it?" Mike asks.

"It's not an eagle you fool," Rosalie growls as she tries to keep her temper. The whole bat thing has always been a sensitive issue for her family. They are one of the oldest families here in town and can trace some of their family roots back to the time when the first attacks occurred. Some of her ancestors were among those killed by the bats when the attacks first started.

"The _eagle_ you saw on the crest is a bat," Rosalie goes on to explain. "And if you read the writing at the bottom of the crest it says _Nox Sine Fine_ which is Latin for 'Night without end'. It was meant as a warning for people, to let them know what would happen to them if they ever ventured out at night on Halloween. And Pipistrello, the town's name…it's the Italian word for bat. Back before the attacks ever started, when the town was first founded, people were wise enough to know there was a problem. They named the town Pipistrello to let other people know what was happening here."

By this point, Mike and Jessica are rolling their eyes. Clearly they're just thinking we're trying to tell them some scary story. I don't bother trying to convince them, there have been others who doubted, but in the end, all it took was one glance out the window for them to see all the bats flying through town for them to believe.

I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Mike and Jessica stand up and head towards the door.

"Where are you guys going?" I demand. "We just told you what will happen if you go outside. It's why everyone else is spending the night."

"It isn't safe," explain Ben and Angela at the same time as they see Mike and Jessica putting on their coats.

Just as I finish speaking, the familiar woosh of the bats beginning to make their presence known as they fly through town can be heard. I look out the window, and in the moonlight can see that they are only a few blocks away from our house.

"Yes, yes, you told us" Mike says disbelievingly. "The evil scary bats are gonna munch on us and steal our souls. Jess and I are going home. We had a great time guys, really. And that was an awesome scary story too, but I have an early day at the office tomorrow and I'm quite sure that my wife and I will be perfectly safe walking six houses down the block to get home."

Clearly there is no reasoning with them, and now I'm just getting mad. If they don't want to listen, then that's fine. We all gave them fair warning. Their blood is on their own hands. Edward places his hand on my shoulder in a silent effort to try to keep me calm. He can always tell when I'm getting upset and his touch always makes me feel better. After a moment, he pulls away and heads towards the front door to see our guests out.

"Just remember that we tried to warn you. We won't risk go out there after you when you start screaming for help." Edward tells them coldly as they walk out the door. As soon as they are outside, he shuts the door tightly and locks it.

We head back to the couches where everyone else it, and we all just sit in silence for a minute, wondering if Mike and Jess will manage to make it home, even though we know they probably won't.

The silence is soon broken by a bloodcurdling scream followed by a man shouting for help. We know exactly what's happening and who's screaming, and we're quite sure everyone else who lives on this block who heard the screams is probably wondering who didn't make it home before the sun set.

Just as the screams start to die down, my cell phone starts ringing, the caller ID telling me it's Jessica. I answer the call, and place it on speaker phone, knowing full well what she's going to be asking, and completely aware that we won't be able to give it to her.

"Oh my God, Bella! You were right….the bats…they, they got Mike. He's dead. You've got to come get me, I'm trying to run back to your house. Please…help!" Jessica shouts through the phone.

"Jessica we warned you. I can't go out there. I won't put my baby at risk for you, nor will I send my husband out there and risk leaving my child without a father. I'm sorry Jessica, but there's nothing we can do. If you can make it back to the house, then we'll let you in, but we won't go out there to get you."

"Bella…please" Jessica screams. I can tell she's crying, I can hear it in her voice. I can also hear her screams lessen as more of the bats bite her and feed off of her.

A few seconds later, we hear a thud against our front door. We rush to look out the window, only to find Jessica's lifeless body lying on our front porch which is now stained with her blood. Her eyes still open and fixed on our front door. The bats still cling to her as they continue to suck whatever blood still lingers in her body.

**- November 3, 2011 - **

The funeral service today was short. Not many people attended. Some chose not to because they felt like Mike and Jessica got what they deserved for being so foolish and going out on Halloween night, and others didn't come because the two hadn't lived here long enough to really get to know many people.

Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Ben, Angela, Edward and I all came though. We felt it was the least we could do since we couldn't save them that night despite the warnings we gave them. News of what happened traveled through town quickly, and everyone seemed to share the same opinion…that it wasn't our fault. We had warned them, there wasn't anything more we could do once they set foot outside the house that night.

As the graveside ceremony ends, I walk over to where the Newton's headstone is and lay a small bouquet of flowers by it and offer a whispered "I'm sorry…but you should have listened" before heading over to the car where Edward is waiting for me.

**- October 31, 2017 - **

"Anthony Masen! Get your butt in this house right now. The sun is about to set." I yell at my five year old son. I know he can't help himself. He may only be five, but Halloween is his favorite holiday…even moreso than Christmas. I think all the free candy has something to do with it.

"Aww Mom…come one, we have time for a few more houses," my now cranky son whines as he stomps up the stairs and into the house.

I shut the door behind him and lock it, before my hands ghost over my once again pregnant stomach. Anthony should be getting a baby sister in just under a month.

"I'm sure _you_ could manage to go to a few more houses, but Mommy's belly won't let her move as quick as you. Besides, you have plenty of candy in that pumpkin bucket you're holding."

Edward must have heard us come in, because he walks to the entry way from the kitchen.

"Dinner's almost ready Anthony. Go on upstairs and clean up. You can keep your costume on for now if you want, but I expect clean hands and a clean face" Edward says.

"Okay Dad" Anthony shouts before he thrusts his candy bucket at me and bolts up the stairs. I can't help but laugh a little.

Edward thoroughly distracts me as he pulls me into a kiss.

"Have fun trick or treating this year babe?" He murmurs, his lips still brushing against my own.

"oh yeah, tons. I think this was Anthony's biggest haul yet." I reply, stepping away from Edward as I hear our son running towards the stairs.

In a flash he's back at our side and then heads into the kitchen because just like his Uncle Emmett…the boy can eat. Edward heads in after him to go start serving dinner. I go to follow, but glance out the window as the last of the sun sets and see the two bats sitting on the top step of our front porch, just as they have been for the past five Halloweens.


	4. Day 3 Maniac Motherland

**Hell on Earth: A Twilight Love Story**

**Author: **ManiacMotherland

**Summary: **On the internet, everyone lies. Will Bella find the man of her dreams in a group on a MMORPG? Or will she find just another dog? O/S, AH. BPOV. M-rated for language, sexual situations. Entry for TFA 31 Days of Halloween.

**A/N: **I feel I should warn you. I am a nerd. I love Arizona. I love Twilight. And the ending is cheesy. Abandon hope all ye that enter yourself warned. Happy Halloween!

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight series and all of its characters, in its entirety. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only.

###################################

The minions had finally arrived. A death squad of ten-feet-tall skeletons, with maggots wriggling through drooping tatters of skin which were still attached to their rattling joints. This army now lurked over the horizon and across the blasted heath towards my companion and myself.

To kill us, yes. But-more to the point-to consume us, before killing us. Still alive as the flesh was torn from our bones. Still conscious as they ate into our brains. If we were lucky, a bash to the head and we would be unconscious as they gnawed through our innards and spit out the contents of our last meal as an unsavory substitute to our muscle and fat.

They had no souls, and therefore, we had no hope. I grappled my wounded partner by the waist and told her to muster up one last fireball of life-force and send as many of the monsters as she could, straight back to hell.

That's when I heard him, my hero, my savior, my messiah. Yelling like a berserker, running like a train on fire, cresting the outcropping of rock in front of us, brandishing his ancestral sword.

He paused for a moment at the base of the pitted stones to take in the scene. Then fluid half-moon swipes sent them all scattering. Shoulders and knees and elbows swung and hit target. Hand-bombs of burning pitch blinded them. A battle-cry at the top of his lungs: "By the Blessed Lady of Samhara, you shall not infest these lands with your contagion!" and he battled like a lion. Until all the horrid fiends gave up and ran away with a tangled, long and painful howl.

One thing you could say about Halvor, he really was one hot tamale when he was staying in character and killing mobs.

Apparently, however, I was the only one to see just how sexy Hal was. Our partner, Mersham (another female player, I think, but I wasn't quite sure), was about ready to rip him a new one.

"Took you long enough! Christ!" burst the sudden quiet of voice chat, after the melee was over. I shifted the headphone and microphone combo that I wore on my head so the full blast of the anger wasn't directly in my ear. "This isn't a RP server! What's with all the _blah-blah-blah_. I really need a pee break, and the dog is barking to go out. Will be gone about ten minutes. Just please don't get me killed before I make it back. I have set my auto-follow on Ivy."

"What's his deal?" Hal typed to me in a private text message, so Mersham couldn't hear us. "Did I not just royally save his ass from about three dozen Hell Guards? Without him having to rezz back even once?"

"Yeah, but you did take your own sweet time doing it, loverboy," I typed back.

The cursor sat there blinking. For nearly a minute. Or at least I thought it was a minute. Perhaps I had gone too far in calling my gaming buddy Hal "loverboy." I only sorta-kinda knew him. We'd both started playing the trendy new MMORPG _Hell on Earth _a couple months ago on Friday nights, and then, after talking while our characters camped out a spot between campaigns, we'd both eventually realized that we lived in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

I grew up in Arizona, and let me tell you what, the city known as "Phoenix" is actually a huge fucking megacity, and it can take you the better part of two hours to get from Deer Valley to Apache Junction during rush-hour traffic. They don't call I-17 the "Black Canyon Parking Lot" for nothing. All totaled up: just because we both "live in Phoenix" doesn't mean that we have to interact anywhere IRL, a.k.a. " in real life" for the newbs in the room.

Fuck real life anyway. At least on the weekends. On Friday nights, I'm here to game.

I mean, yeah… okay, I guess I was more than just a little curious to see if Halvor was really that gorgeous and ripped in person. But what if he wasn't? What if he was just some pimple-dotted and fat-assed creep living out in his mom's spare Arizona room. Translation: basically, a screened-in porch where you store bicycles and Christmas decorations and crap like that. Not even really a room, by most people's standards. He could be living in a tent and that would almost be an upgrade from the typical Arizona room.

And how exactly was I to know if what Hal told me was the truth, anyway? It's like they say, "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog." Maybe my online friend was a real woofer IRL. If I found out that Halvor was some 40-year-old techno-virgin, and the date crashed and burned, then there would go my standing TGIF gaming session. And I really needed that time to be selfish and decompress from work. Saturday night was for dates, to try and find Mr. Right somewhere here in the Valley of the Sun. And Sunday night was for any last-minute prep for the 60-hour week that lay before me each Monday, bright and shiny at 8:00 a.m. without fail.

Which was why I hadn't even asked Hal his real name yet. And I certainly hadn't told him mine.

Still, sometimes you have downtime with another player from your group. So you switch to PM and chat with them while you are waiting for other players' various pee breaks and dog walks and pizza deliveries and beer runs. It's times like this when your defenses are down.

Nine times out of ten, the first question a guy asks is, "Are your boobs really that big?" But Hal was different. He told me my name Ivy was pretty.

Who am I kidding? He was probably still looking at my tits. And could you blame him? They are fucking huge in this metal push-bra. Like Pamela Lee and just as fake. When I run, I can't even see my feet! And then there is my ass. It is fucking Baby-Got-Back big.

_Which reminds me_, I thought. _I need to add that song to my gaming playlist_.

Yep, it all comes down to T&A. But what can you expect? Men design these games. Still, a growing number of women like myself-perfectly normal, and completely successful, and not even all that ugly-now play online games on a regular basis. By day, I am an attorney in a boringly beige law firm. By night, I kill ogres and giants and ghouls (oh my!) as I blast out music and obliterate my weeklong diet with junk food.

Honestly, I prefer my nights to my days. Who wouldn't? Tell me, exactly what's so great about growing up? Figure out what you want to do, get a degree (or two) and a career. And then all of the sudden, life becomes a big ol' pain in the ass. More bills, less time. More them, less you.

"So, hey there, Ivy," wrote Hal. "You going to tell me exactly where you live? Queen Creek? Glendale? Buckeye? Because I have a house in an older part of Tempe. Maybe we could get together and wander up and down Mill. It's gone all corporate, I know. But Fat Tuesday is still kind of fun. Especially on a weekday. To blow off some steam."

I jolted up a little bit in my seat. A really nice black leather console chair that I had paid an obscene amount of money for at Fry's Electronics over on Baseline, last August. Fuck me! I had almost forgot that I was waiting for a response from Hal. And from what I was reading on the screen, Hal had just asked me out on a date.

"Ummmmm… ummmmmm… ummmmm." The keys clattered, since my hands were shaking more than I would like to admit. "I just want to have a friend to play with, Hal."

"Friends, you say?" he responded quickly. "But friends with benefits? A guy can hope, after all."

"Nope. Just friend-friends. And don't tell me that we can get around it by having phone sex, because I tried that with a college boyfriend when I went away for law school. It isn't the same."

"Law school, huh?" Hal caught my slip-up. "Hmmm. I never took you for the shyster type."

"Ah, crap. So now you know my darkest secrets. I game online and I'm a lawyer. So sue me."

Hal laughed, a deep and rumbling sort of laugh, and I could hear it through the headset. Surely, if he were a pudgy and puffy man-child who didn't own much more than his computer and a pair of overstretched sweat pants, he would snort instead, and not chortle so manly, right? At least I hoped so. I wanted to say something to him directly, but I was afraid that Mersham would overhear, so I remained silent.

"Nah, Ivy," he typed, once the laughter had stopped. "Think the shoe is on the other foot here. But, then again, I haven't actually done anything wrong. Maybe quoted some sources without adequate enough citations in grad school. But, hell, who hasn't done that at some point? Joe Biden did that, and he's Vice President of the U-S-of-A now. At least, now I have tenure."

"I see… so, grad school? Tenure? So… that makes you…what… a professor? And in what discipline? Teaching at ASU? Do tell, loverboy."

"Well, I don't know, sweet cheeks. Maybe I shouldn't tell you. Maybe it is getting too personal to tell you. Aren't we supposed to just be friend-friends? Or, if I tell you, will you let me buy you a beer in person at some point? A think that's a fair compromise."

Hal hung the offer out there, and I didn't know exactly what to say right then. I needed to sleep on it. But sleep was for wusses on Friday night. I wasn't going down until at least 4:00 a.m.

"Alright ladies!" Mersham finally burst back into the conversation. "A guy from my league is a healer, and he just sent me a tell to get an invite. That means Ivy can finally tank the mob while I nuke him and Hal does all kinds of wicked DPS on his ass. So let's go after that son-of-bitch Demon Lich King, once and for all. I am tired of bunny-hilling it here with these skellies."

"Sure enough, buddy. Just give me the name of your friend," Hal replied in voice chat, quickly closing down the PM conversation and focusing on the quest now before us. "But Ivy, remember our bet. I think you will find that Mersham is a guy-guy in real life, so you owe me 100 gold ducats. Send it to my castle's steward. And I think you also owe me an answer to my question. Next Friday is good. Take your time. Here we go, my comrades…"

########

The swirling leather of bat wings made it nearly possible to see the way out of the cave. My feet kept slipping on the rocks beneath me and then there was the voice. Deep and resonant, yet still piercing and biting, like a bone claw scraping its bloody knuckles down a long wall of glass.

"_YOU SHALL NOT LIVE! YOU SHALL BE GUTTED AS YOU SQUEAL! YOU SHALL NOT LIVE! FOR I AM XERNU, LORD OF THE GATES OF HELL! GAZE ON ME AND DESPAIR!"_

"Fuck me!" Hal grumbled. "We haven't seen the guy yet and already I want him dead. All that bluster, I wonder what he looks like. Maybe he's just a soft and cuddly teddy bear."

"He's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you've ever set eyes on!" our new healer Wilhelm snickered, as he paused for a moment, trying hard to remove the fear spell that was causing my peripheral vision to spin about like a carnival ride.

"This is your only warning, Wil," grunted Hal. "Quoting Monty Python will earn you a swift and permanent ban from the group."

"What's your damage?" whined Wil. "You don't like them, or something?"

"On the contrary. I used to hang out on Mill Avenue in Tempe when I was an undergrad, reciting parts of the movie verbatim for extra cash. But all it takes is one troll to start quoting them in The Homelands, and then…"

"Oh, I get it. Because I don't like spam!" Wil chirped, in a so-so British accent, mocking the famous Python skit that was appropriated by the earliest computer programmers of the '70s and '80s, to describe anything excessive and annoying. Kind of like our current companion. Me and Hal and Mersh, and the thoroughly obnoxious and rude Spam Boy.

"Yes. You got it. So I'm warning you. Nicely. That's one and a half times. We need a healer, so please drop it. Focus instead on getting Ivy back on her feet. How you doing there, Ivy?"

Wil sent a silent text message to me at this point, which popped up on my screen.

"Is Hal your friend? Because the man is a real a-hole. WTF!"

I almost pretended I hadn't received the PM, but then I decided I needed to stick up for Hal.

"He is my best friend, Wil. And he is a damn fine leader. So just do what he says. Please?"

"Alright. But you have to tell me. Where do you live? Because I was wondering if… we…"

"HELL HOUNDS!" Mersham screamed and I pressed the earphone against my head as I spun my character around and shut down the increasingly unpleasant chat with Wil, simultaneously.

"Throw some god-damn lightning balls, Christ!" Wil was a constant patter of narration. "Oh shit! I'm almost out of soul-ammo! I can't do many more heals! Oh my fuck! That guy is huge!"

"This is my group. So… Shut… The… Hell… Up!" yelled Hal. "Use enduring flame instead, Mersh. Aim it at his feet. My other main alt is a caster and warlocks are vulnerable to fire. Counterintuitive, I know, since they are from hell. But it works. Great job! Now, Ivy, how you doing, sweetie? I want you to shield both you and me as we move in for melee. I know it takes a bit of practice, but you can do it. Well done! Now dual-wield and pummel the hell out of the guy. I will work on the sidekicks. Now, you, Wil. I am putting you on mute. Just shut the fuck up and heal, god-damn you. And we might get through this battle alive."

#######

"Finally! That punk was tough!" Wil was panting over the voice chat, about an hour later. "What's the repair cost on your armor, Halvor? Because I will pay for it. I promise I will. "

"No big, Wil," yawned Hal. "Ivy still owes me money, so she will pay to fix me up. But you know, it is about three o'clock in the morning Arizona Daylight Savings Time. So I think I am going to call it a night."

"Arizona Daylight Savings Time?" Wil shot back. "What the fucking hell is that? Do you have your own time zone or something? Jesus, how lame."

"Short answer: yes," I responded in Hal's defense. "We have so much sunshine here in Arizona, all year round, that we don't need to save it. In fact, give me your address, and I will ship you some in a box. No charge."

"Well, sure! I live with my mom here in Seattle, but if you have a pen close by, my real name is… Mike… Newton… and do you understand street directions here in Washington, or do I need to spell it out for you? I would love to find out if your… breasts…"

_Yes! They are plenty big! And they are real! Holy crow, what a grade-A dochebag!_

Tired and annoyed, I hit a macro button that simultaneously did two things at once: degroup and set my status as AFK. Again, that's "away from keyboard" for the newbsters in our midst.

It would appear to my group that I had been accidentally cut off from the server (here in Arizona, I always blamed a quick disconnect on a freak lightning storm, which does happen a lot—in August, while this was October). Generally speaking, it was really a way to make a quick escape. Kind of like the online equivalent of giving a guy a wrong number and then saying you needed to freshen up in the little girls' room when you really intended to duck out the back door instead.

They would wait around for me, for a while, but not long. Later, I could give them some kind of sob story. That is, if I didn't decide to hang up that character for a bit and play another alt until I was sure that the dickhead in question wasn't going to hunt me down again, trying to hit on me.

What can I say to defend myself? The internet is full of dogs, and so, sometimes I am a bitch.

"You mock-logging on us, honey?" Hal connected to me in a private voice chat channel before I could get fully logged off. I was exhausted, but it was nice to hear his voice before I left.

"That new guy is an uber-dork. And I'm tired. Didn't you say that you were tired too? I can only sleep in until about noon on Saturdays. I've got too much to do the rest of the weekend."

"Yeah, Wil was getting kind of fresh there at the end. I would get fresh too, if it would get you out of that armor. But… I'm not… _that _tired," he yawned and then mumbled through an apology. "You say the word, Ivy, and I will meet you. Anywhere. Even if it is across town."

I sat there, staring at the pop-up that said "LOG NOW: YES?" and tapped my toe as I thought.

In the flesh was too far, too soon. But this was the cyberworld. Why limit the imagination here?

"I'm not ready to meet you face to face," I finally whispered. "But my date for tomorrow night cancelled earlier today… well, yesterday, at this point… so, and I can't believe I'm really doing this… but, tell me something, Hal… do you have a _Second Life_ account?"

#######

I don't get the Furry sex subculture; I really don't. Dressing up like Winnie the Pooh and fucking Tigger? (They call it "yiffing"). Seriously. Not my cup of tea.

Still, there are plenty of Furry sex clubs here on _Second Life_. And gay, and lesbian, and bondage, and midget, and ponyplay, and sex toys, and Japanese lolicon, and about any kind of variation on getting off that the human mind can imagine. Entire areas are age-verified and geared towards particular interests. Want to be gay, be gay. Want to be Superman, be Superman. Want to be hairy, be hairy. 'Cuz, baby, you were born that way. At least online.

I still don't get Furries. To each their own, of course. But, once again, really not my thing.

Me, I'm an old-fashioned kind of girl. Yeah, so I have some black lingerie and some fishnet stocking and some patent leather stiletto heels. Since I can't wear the latter in real life, without falling over whenever I try to move, at least I get to wear them somewhere. In my own private love nest, to be exact. Here on _Second Life_. But that is about it. I am pretty vanilla, to be honest.

I don't even know why exactly I made this place. I haven't visited it in ages. Sure, I fucked around with my first avatar (a tall, blonde slut named Busty McFeelie), just to see what the hype was about. But since then, with this persona, I haven't brought anyone over to my house for a visit. Hal would be my first guest with this particular character, and lord, I was nervous.

The doorbell rang, and I inhaled forcefully a couple times to calm my racing heartbeat. Then my online persona walked over to the door, reached out a hand and turned the knob.

"Good evening. Oh, Ivy. What can I say?" Hal's avatar smiled at me from the other side of the threshold. "You look gorgeous. A tad underdressed perhaps. But still gorgeous."

"Underdressed?" I responded. "I'd say you were overdressed, in that tux. Stunning. But way too many clothes. So… ummmm… thanks… for… the… flowers. But I'm confused. I thought we were talking about… something more… random. And what's this? It says your name is actually… Edward Cullen? You aren't using a fake name? This is really you? Huh. I don't think I have ever met an actual, living person in here before."

"Yes, well… this is my professional account, you see, so I can interact with the distance students who take my lower-level classes. I teach linguistics. Hal means rock in various Scandinavian tongues, and vor means guardian. That is to say, protector. There are hundreds of names around the world that mean protector, born of a time when human life was very precarious and you needed warriors to defend you on a day-to-day basis. Edward specifically translates to protector of prosperity. I protect the 'ed'. Whatever an 'ed' is. But you can still call me Hal, if you want."

I backed up a few steps. This cyberdate wasn't going exactly as I had planned. It actually seemed a little bit… what was the word I was looking for? Oh yeah, it seemed _real_.

A real date. With Edward Cullen, tenured professor of the Linguistic Division of the English Deparment of ASU. Fuck me.

"Clever. But that means, and I'm just guessing here, there will be no Stroker Serpetine going on tonight?" I choked out the question as I started to change my character into a black satin robe.

Why did my reply stick in my throat? I considered it for an instant and realized that I was strangely hurt by the fact that my partner had shown up for a date-date and not a fuck-date.

It took me a while, but I soon figured it out. I felt rejected somehow. That simply made no sense! He was there; he had shown up. With flowers. So why did I feel my heart splinter, just a bit?

"I have no idea what those words mean, Ivy." Hal shook his head as he spoke.

"Stroker Serpentine is the father of cybercock. He wrote the macro that allows men to equip a penis onto their avatars on Second Life. You can even add one that talks. Calls out when it is aroused. Screams out when it shoots it load. Jesus, Edward! When I asked if you had a _Second Life_ account, I figured you understood we were talking about cybersex Just cybersex.."

"You are calling me Edward, yet I still don't know your real name, Ivy." The man in the tux grinned at me and waited for my reply which wasn't immediately forthcoming. "And no, by the way, I am about as equipped as a Ken doll down there. No stroking and no serpentine tonight. You must forgive me. I had other plans for this evening, you see."

I didn't type /cry or any such nonsense like that. But I was crying IRL, and it probably came through in the pattern of my voice in chat. I even sniffed a little bit as the moisture went past my eyes and hit my nose. And that was a dead give-away over the microphone.

"Are you…" Edward paused. "Are you… crying… Ivy? Why are you crying? Did I say something to hurt you? Because I didn't mean to. I apologize… but I'm a little confused. Tell me, why are you crying?"

"No, it's just… I'm being stupid," I whined. "I just… didn't plan… and I don't want to tell you my name right now. I hardly even now you, Hal… Edward… whatever! You aren't even real!"

"I feel pretty real, right now," whispered Edward. "But it doesn't matter. I can wait for you to decide when to tell me who you are out there, in the real world. In the meantime, there's something I wanted to do tonight. And please, Ivy, don't spoil it for me."

My cyberdate then got down on one knee and pulled a small red box out from the inside of his suitcoat. I felt my head start to spin from the possibility of what I was seeing. Was the newly rechristened Edward Cullen really going to do what I think he was going to do? Was he really going to propose to me in _Second Life_? Fuck me.

"This is me, really me, really Edward. And I have fallen in love with the person I met three months ago online. I want to spend all my Fridays and all of my weekends with you, in cyberspace. So, please, answer my question: Ivy Trousseau, will you cybermarry me?"

Marriage, ugh, marriage. Even cybermarriage wasn't really what I was looking for right then.

Regardless, I took the ring out of the velvet cloth and turned it around several times for the pixels of the cyberdiamond to catch the cyberlight. Hal was, like I had said, a hot tamale. What was the worst that could happen, if I said yes, there in the strange and unreal world of _Second Life_.

"Ohhhhhh, alright," I sighed as I slipped the engagement ring on my third lefthand finger. "But do you know what this means? It means that if we break up here in _Second Life_, it will be the kiss of death for our time gaming together on _Hell on Earth_. Because I know some really good divorce lawyers. And I can be a real bitch, if I need to be. Do you understand me? I will sue you down to your cyberskivvies if you cheat around on me, or break my little cyberheart. You are taking an awfully big risk here, Halvor Armanz, Edward Cullen. Whoever you are, exactly, out there in the real world. You've been warned."

"I am willing to take that chance. It is only a game, after all," Edward's character then stood up to kiss me and I gave him permission. I could hear him breathe heavily on the other end of the chatline, and I wondered for a moment what exactly he was doing IRL. "You won't regret it, love. I have saved up all my Linden dollars and we can buy ourselves a little cottage in a fantasy land somewhere, and be as happy as larks, you and me. And, I promise, just as soon as we get married, I will buy myself a cybercock. And a pose ball. Got to have a cyberhoneymoon, after all. Maybe we can even get you cyberpregnant before we even come back to our cybercareers."

I nodded and kissed him again, and then moved back to get a good look at my new cyberfiance.

"We can go away to an island maybe. Somewhere tropical. I'd enjoy that," I added, before we sat down and killed the rest of the evening watching a movie together, chatting back and forth on Skype at the various scenes in front of us, until I nearly fell asleep in Edward's arms. "Because I have a feeling that our little slice of our cyberlife together, Edward, as man and wife, is going to be just this side of Heaven on Earth."


	5. Day 4 Don't Live In Regret

**31 Days of Halloween**

**Title – Twisted Eternity**

**Author- Don't live in regret**

**Rated- M**

**Pairing- Edward and Bella**

**Word count- 8295**

**Picture prompt # 4?**

**Summary- ****Edward scowers the world to find the painting that haunts his dreams. Will he ever find his twisted eternity?**

**Disclaimer- I own no rights to twilight or its characters. Just have them play in my imaginary world. Thank you Bella Ami and Eifeltwr. I love you two more than I can ever express. ENJOY….**

It'd been two years since I last stood in front of this door. It hadn't changed; the same dings and dents scarred the painted purple surface. Although the color had faded a bit, the name plaque seemed shinier than I remember. _Maybe he polished it?_

Dr. Anthony Masen  
>Psychiatrist<p>

"Fuck," I mumbled to myself as I raise my hand and knock and nervously shift my weight from foot to foot.

I feel like every other time I've stood outside his door waiting for him to answer, the air in my lungs seems to be sucked out by a Hoover vacuum. I hate doctors, I hate medication, but I'm desperate. So I have to be here. Again.

"Well, well Mr. Cullen." My doctor since childhood gestured me into his office. "Long time no see."

I deliberately made eye contact and inwardly shuddered, his heavy brows and dark eyes still managed to unnerve me. Even to this day, there's something about him that I can't figure out, other than the fact that he makes me anxious, and I hate it.

"Come in, come in," he quietly coaches.

I hear the door click close behind me as I slowly make my way over to the leather chaise. I'm surprised from all the time I've spent here that my ass isn't imprinted on the bloody fucking thing. I've laid on it more times than I'd like to admit.

I sit, exhaling a loud huff as I do. My fingers grab the bulk of my greasy, out of control hair. Don't judge. I'm usually a clean freak, but I haven't left my condo in three days. Hence, the reason I'm here.

"So, Mr. Cullen." He taps his fancy pen on the legal size notepad sitting in his lap, his voice grabs my attention. This is all second nature to me now. I come in, sit down, look at him…and express all my feelings and emotions. I swear the second I actually make eye contact with him I get hypnotized or some shit. Things, I swore to myself that I wouldn't tell another soul, flow freely from me, like some sort of verbal diarrhea.

Without hesitation I lie down and stare at the white steeple ceiling. "It's her again," I say flatly.

"Hmmm." I can almost hear his pen scribbling. "Same one?"

"Yes," I keep my eyes open, afraid to see her again if they close even for a second.

Again he scribbles.

"When did the dreams start?"

"This week. I haven't had them since I last saw you. "

"It's been..." he hesitates, as he flips through pages of notes. "Two years. Has anything changed to trigger these nightmares?"

"Well, as soon as I quit my job at the art museum, my dreams stopped." I shake my head. "I dropped everything, changed fields, got new friends, and didn't see her again…well until now."

"So, what's changed? Why do you think she's back?"

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. Ever since I was little I had always been fascinated with art and sculptures. Play-Doh had been my best friend growing up.

As years passed it seemed anything I drew or sculpted would take the shape of her. Her hand, her hair, or the way I rolled the snake like object through individual key holes that appeared like a hologram against her porcelain skin. Fucked up vision I know, but in my mind, it was clear as day.

I spent the good part of my teens and early twenties, studying art all around the world. She had to be out there… somewhere, but each country, museum, and artist I studied always ended up as a dead end.

So, I found myself making a weekly trip to a psychiatrist in hopes of expelling my obsession, and reveling in how this mystery woman has corrupted my soul. Two years ago, I left the art world and that was the last I saw of her. Until Now.

What has triggered her reappearance he asks? I let out a long exaggerated breath. I already know what he will say. I'm stupid. A fool for returning. "I'm going to Italy."

"Italy?" he asks a bit intrigued. "What would take you to Italy? … Edward?"

I turn my head and look at him, brows furrowed at the ease of his voice. It's like he knows the reason why, yet he waits for me to confirm. "I received a call last week."

"From?"

"A woman."

"Did she give a name?"

"No, but she knew my name. She knew all about me actually." I huffed as I recalled her seductive voice. "The way she spoke to me drew me in. I was curious. And in no time I had agreed to fly out there. First class. All expenses paid."

"Did she say why she wanted you there?"

"There's an art piece she thinks I may be interested in." I smile to myself. "I know it's the piece I've been looking for, Dr. Masen. The way she spoke to me. The way she spoke of the piece, I just know it's the one."

"So why did you come to me, if you have everything already figured out on your own."

I sat up, rested my elbows against my knees, and rung my hands together. "I need a refill," I say quietly. He takes quick notice that I don't ask, I tell. "I haven't slept in days."

"Edward, the last time I gave you medication you became a bit…addicted."

"Just one prescription…that's it."

Dr. Masen smirked at me. I knew full well, he wasn't going to say no. "Just one."

I leave his office a few minutes later, prescription in hand. Six hours later I find myself laying in my king size bed, eyes wide open. Even though I want to see her, I can't shake the feeling of fear around me. It's not her that scares me, it's the evil that surrounds her. I feel it course through my body every time I see her.

The lights in my room were on, no sleeping in the dark for me. My small suitcase is packed and zipped, ready to go. With a yawn and full body stretch, I pop two of the prescribed sleeping pills into my mouth and whimper at the thought of what I was about to dream of.

…

..

.

"Edward…" her voice sings my name. I follow it, winding through the almost blackened shadow filled halls. I feel the wall to my right as I continue to walk straight, my arms stretched out before me using my fingertips to feel the way. My heart races and my eyes bulge wide as I strain to see anything. Anyone.

The walls feel smooth until they suddenly change. I can now feel stone under my touch. Cool and coarse. My footsteps begin to loudly echo.

"Edward…"

Her voice again. I stop and turn in the dark, trying to decipher which direction it came from. I feel something dash past me. I turn and feel a slight breeze. "Who's there?" I call out. "Show yourself!"

Everything around me goes silent, that is until I hear a hiss.

Goosebumps spread over my body. My right ankle tingles and I swipe my hand down my leg and try to smack whatever away. But it slithers up my leg and I become frantic. The hissing grows louder as something wraps its way up my leg.

"Get off of me!" I yell. In the dark, my eyes blink and try to focus on the two fire red, burning snake eyes that are now only inches from mine.

…

..

.

I sucked in a deep breath as my body sits up ramrod straight. I frantically gulp in air, feeling like I was held under water for a long period of time. I quickly take in my surroundings and am confused as to how I'm already on the plane and with no recollection as to how I got on it.

I felt the plane descend and accepted the fact that I was here and we were about to land. I reach into my carryon bag and after rummaging around for a bit I stick a piece of gum into my mouth so my ear will pop. I lean back into my seat and look out the small round window. The familiar shaking of the plane vibrated around me as the landing gear lowered. I took in the ground below as we inched lower until I felt the wheels touchdown and a loud whoosh echoed in my ears as the plane slowed down.

At a slow speed we wound through the airport runways. The stewardess spoke over the intercom, welcoming us to Italy.

_Seriously?_ I don't even remember getting on the connecting flight. _Fucking meds_. I need to lay off that shit.

With my entire body aching from the long flight, I stand, grab my carry on and follow the herd towards the baggage claim.

I know a bit of Italian, but not enough to speak to anyone fluently. I stand and wait. Listening to all the others speak so fast I can't understand.

My luggage slides towards me and I lift it off the conveyor and begin to roll it towards the exit where I spot the taxi's lined up, one after the other.

I wave one over then pull the crumpled paper from my pocket.

"Buon giorno," he greets me as he runs around the car, placing my bag in the back.

"Buon giorno," I reply. I sit in the backseat and wait for him to return. He slams the trunk and sits behind the wheel.

"Dove tu vole andare?"

I look down at my paper and read the address I was told by _her_. "Voltura," I read the town. From the maps I've looked at I know it's a long drive.

"Voltura?" He gives me this, are you fucking kidding me look, before I nod yes. He faces forward and begins muttering under his breath as he puts the taxi in drive and we commence on our journey.

During our hour long journey to Voltura the driver didn't speak to me once. As we neared my destination I ducked my head to see through the front window. In the distance on top of a large hill was an old city.

Voltura.

I tell him the address. "Tu sei patso," the driver finally spoke.

I laughed at his words. Yeah, I know I'm crazy. And before I know it, I'm standing in front of the ominous gates of the address I was given. My bag is sitting on the ground behind me, and the taxi's tires are screeching as the driver makes a mad dash to get away.

I stepped towards the gate and ring the intercom bell. Moments later a man asked who I was. I answered, "Mi chiamo Edward Cullen."

The door immediately opened, and I hear footsteps scurry away quickly. I grabbed my bag and entered the courtyard beyond the gates.

It was deserted. No one was outside. And I can't hear an ounce of noise, except for the whistling wind that circulates and blows all around me.

It never let up. My jacket ripped open as I jogged towards the front steps. I rapidly pound on the bronze metal doors, wanting to get out of this wind storm.

I shield my face from the sand that was whipping against my skin. I'm thankful when I hear the door slide open with an ear deafening creak.

I don't wait to enter. I step into the foyer and sighed in relief as the wind stayed outside. I wiped my face dry from the tears and dirt that seemed to stick to my face, the door closes and locks shut behind me. I finally looked at the person who was standing in front of me.

"Mr. Cullen," she greets me with a heavy accent.

She was stunning. Tall and thin, but her body curvaceous. Her strawberry blonde hair flowed down to her full breasts. Italian woman are beautiful creatures. "My name is Tanya." She extends her hand out for mine, but I stand still, lost in her eyes, they're brown with flecks of gold and red. A color that seems so familiar, yet I can't think of how. I have never seen her before in my life.

She drops her hand as she realizes I was not reciprocating her welcome. Her brow rose with speculation. "Is der someting wrong, Mr. Cullen?" she asks in broken English.

I shake my head clear, feeling my body relax instantly. I look back at her eyes and see dark brown eyes staring back at me, there are no others colors, just brown.

_I'm going crazy._

"No, grazie." I swallow hard.

"You may speak English here. No need to struggle."

_How does she know I don't speak __Italian__? _I ignore my inner warnings and smile in a thank you. A part of me relieved that I don't have to use my English to Italian dictionary after all.

"This way." She turned and proceeded to walk down a long narrow hall. Her heels clicked loudly against the tiled flooring. As we entered the living area of what I would have to call a castle, I finally laid eyes on other human beings.

All busy at work, sweeping, dusting, painting. I found it a little odd that no one even looked up from their work to see us passing by. _Don't most people? I know I do?_

I stare at them as we walk further into the house. I can't help but still find it odd that they all had their heads down. I decided to focus on Tanya. Her body seemed to flow as she walked. The four inch stilettos never faltered her step once. Her long toned legs captured my attention, as did her tight red dress that hugged the curves of her delicious body.

I found myself licking my lips, my mouth felt dry and throat suddenly closed like I had swallowed something poisonous. She turned on her heel, a devilish curl to her smirk. "A glass of water, Mr. Cullen?"

I choked on my own saliva and coughed uncontrollably, bending at my waist, until a large glass of water was handed to me. I gulped it down, feeling immediate relief. "Grazie!" I spoke haggardly.

"Prego," she purred, and I swear I saw her brown eyes glisten that reddish gold again before she turned and walked away.

Hallway after hallway we continued to walk until we reached a closed pair of black doors that seemed to reach sky high. She opened the doors with both hands and pushed forward, walking us into a marble floored room.

It was like a cathedral, except all the ceilings were painted in sexually suggestive artwork. Phalus shaped pillars adorned each corner. _What the hell?_

"Well, well," a man's voice grabbed my attention away from the art filled room. "Mr. Cullen!"

I swallowed down nerves as he quickly approached. He was medium height and had a slender build. His skin was pale and translucent like the skin of an onion. His eyes were jet black along with his shoulder length straight hair.

He smiled showing his white teeth to me; I'm sure a gesture which should have relaxed me. However I reacted with the opposite. Every muscle in my body tensed. And I held my breath as he spoke and grabbed my hand into his. "My name is Aro," he closed his eyes. Both of his hands surrounded my one.

_Is he a psychic? Reading my mind right now?_

"Ahh, I see your flight went well." He opened his beady eyes to look at me.

"Yes sir!" I whispered.

"I'm glad Tanya was able to convince you to come to Italy." He looked to my right and we both watched Tanya approach. She stood beside him, his arm snaked around her waist as she leaned in and I watched as her tongue slithered out to flick his.

I furrowed my eyes watching the two kiss, no more than a foot away from me. And let me tell you that it was not at all attractive. This man was old enough to be her father, maybe even her great grandfather. I inwardly shuddered.

I cleared my throat, starting to feel uncomfortable, I was happy to see them pull away from one another.

"Edward, you must be exhausted." Aro clapped his hands together and kept them locked together like a steeple in the air. "How about we get you settled in your room before I discuss what has brought you here from America?"

"Alright." I stepped back as Tanya walked past me.

"This way, Mr. Cullen."

Tanya escorted me to my room. A room that seemed put together like an old movie, it felt more like a chamber then a room, the walls were brick. The large wood fireplace took up the entire wall to my right, the glow from the flames casted the only light in the room.

To my left was a large four poster bed, the posts were carved with intricate designs of snakes that stretched up to the ceiling.

"I hope your stay is...comfortable."

I manage a fake smile as she closes the door behind her. I searched behind each and every painting that adorned the walls, expecting to see holes for them to spy through. Don't fucking judge me.

I'd be lying if I said I felt at ease here, because I seriously don't. Aro and Tanya were eerie.

Without hesitation I popped Dr. Masen's meds in my mouth, knowing full well I wouldn't be able to close my eyes in this castle without them.

…

..

.

I found myself wondering alone through the halls. It was dark around me except for the burning flame of my torch. I kept walking, somehow knowing the exact way I wanted to go. I turned the final corner and hid behind royal blue velvet curtains that framed the sole window in the hall.

I waited. Then…she came. I heard the keys clinking together as she came closer. Once I knew she had stopped I peeked out from behind the curtain and spied.

I watched Tanya, who was dressed in a floor length Victorian dress pull back the framed portrait on the wall of the hall. To an outsider you would think the hall ended. But I've seen her disappear behind it before.

This time I'd beaten her. I watched now as she entered the key into the keyhole of the door. She peeked over her shoulder making sure she was alone before she pushed the concrete door open. She quickly turned and snuck the painting back into place before she vanished to the secret area.

"You've come my love." I step towards the wall, hearing _her_ voice.

…

..

.

I jolt up in bed, sweat covering my skin and my chest heaving. I immediately recognize the hall I dreamt of. I had walked past it with Tanya earlier. But the Tanya in my dream was dressed like she lived in the olden days. I lifted the bed sheets to see my boxers and no shirt pajama set. Now that I think of it, in my dream I had been dressed in the era as Tanya.

My heart bangs hard against my chest. "You've come my love." My eyes grow wide at the sound of her voice. I not dreaming now, it's the same one from the phone call. I search the room in a vain attempt to find her.

Feeling like I'm going crazy, I throw a shirt on and leave my room. I walk towards the kitchen area and see the dark sky outside. It's nighttime still. The place is silent. No one around.

"You've come." I turned around, gasping for air. No one else is in the room with me. A shiver soars down my spine as a gust of wind swirls around me.

I close my eyes, willing my hallucinations to stop. My feet begin to move of their own accord, and I begin to walk down the halls in a hypnotized state.

I know exactly where I'm headed. I turn the last corner and see the painting from my dreams. I walk alone and stop in front of the wall, I slowly move the art piece and find the hidden door.

I jiggle the handle and curse. "Fuck!" I grow frustrated when I realize it's locked. I'm really wanting to see what's behind it. I turn around and see the same curtain I had hid behind. I moved the material, feeling something pull me to it. There on the ground was a long metal key.

I look towards the door and wonder what the chances of my finding it could be. I felt almost like I was experiencing déjà vu.

I insert the key, and just like my dream I disappeared behind the portrait, exactly how Tanya had.

I take in a deep breath when I realize that I'm standing at the top of a staircase with hundreds of steps below, making it almost like a cave. Fire pits lining the stairs burned, lighting the way. I walk forward a bit and stop as soon as I see it.

Her.

All these years that I've searched for her and here she is, adorning a canvassed surface.  
>"It can't be," I say quietly in disbelief. I step up to it, lightly touching the smooth surface. She looked exactly how I've dreamed. The keyholes painted over her skin with the slithering creature I've dream of millions of times winding through each one of the key holes.<p>

Her breasts are naked, my fingers slide over the painting wishing they were real. Wishing the veins of her skin could be felt under my fingers. I touch her face, her cheeks, her lips.

"I've come my love," I whisper to her as if she was real. "I'm here!" I stand on my tiptoes and place my lips against hers. My legs give out and I succumb to blackness.

When I wake I'm lying in bed, sunlight is shining into my room through the tall windows. I jump out of bed, dress without showering, and open my door wanting, no needing to see her again when I am suddenly caught off guard by Tanya standing just outside the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen."

I nod my greeting, attempting to side step her in the process, but to no avail.

"In a rush this morning?"

I try not to make eye contact while averting her tries to stop me. "Yes, excuse me."

She steps to the side and I bolt down the hall. Just like last night I wind my way through the long halls until I see the particular piece of art I'm searching for, I stop dead in my tracks.

"This piece holds interest for you, Mr. Cullen?"

I turn swiftly and see Aro standing behind me. I turn back to the wall and grab the frame, pulling the painting away from the wall, wanting access to the door I knew was behind it.

"Is there something you're looking for, Mr. Cullen?"

"You know what I'm…" I hold my breath at the sight of the brick wall that I just exposed. _Where's the door?_ I run my hands over the whole wall, desperately trying in vain to find the door.

"Mr. Cullen?"

My eyes critically search each brick, but still nothing. I swallow hard, suddenly feeling foolish. Maybe I was dreaming the whole time. Maybe I found no secret passage. Maybe the painting of _her_ isn't really real.

My mind is going in a million different directions when I realize I am here for a job. A job the man behind me has hired me for, and here I am acting like a crazed lunatic. I clear my throat as I turn on my heel. "Um, excuse me Aro." I lick my lips nervously as I make eye contact once again. "I don't know what came over me."

"Oh my boy." He seemed to slither towards me and snaked his arm over my shoulder. "Come with me. I want to show you the art I flew you here to see."

…

..

.

I spend the entire day discussing art. Aro is impressed with my knowledge and love for it. Every piece he's showed me has held no interest like the one I dream of. It felt so real. I manage to get through the day, and now find myself sitting at a dining table fit for fifty. Only Aro, Tanya and I are sitting at it, our plates full of food. I quickly take notice that both of them are watching me eat and that neither of them has taken a bite of their own meals. I took another bite of my chicken and chewed slowly.

"Mr. Cullen," Aro steeples his fingers, looking at me like I'm some sort of science project.

"Please call me Edward."

Well, that had him smiling. _Shivers. _"Alright then, Edward."

"I like the sound of that!" Tanya hummed, her eyes never leaving my body. Her eye fucking me was not something I felt comfortable with, but I seem to be to chicken shit scared to say anything likewise, so I sit and…chew.

"Edward, tell me about yourself? Your family. Where you're from," Aro inquired.

"Honestly, I don't know much about my family. I was adopted."

"Humph," Aro glances at Tanya and I see her eyes flicker gold again. I look down and use my fork to play with my mashed potatoes. "Adopted. What a shame. So you never looked into your family background?"

"No sir," I answered, still playing with my food.

"Family is everything in life." Aro spoke directly at me. I felt his eyes on me, I looked up and was met by his two blackened eyes. "Are you close with your adoptive family?"

My heart aches. "No, my parents died young. Car crash just outside of New York."

Aro tsked at my information. "What a shame. A boy of your smarts, with no family to be loved by."

"I managed on my own." I answered him. Not wanting his pity.

"How did you manage all that pain so young?"

"I started seeing a doctor when I was younger. He's helped me through the tough times."

I smile at the thought of my praising Dr. Masen.

"And his name? This kind stranger that's helped you at your time of need?"

_Why is he so intrigued with me?_ "Dr. Masen."

Both their mouths curled up in the corners. A glimpse of teeth as they smiled.

"Well Edward that is a fascinating story. Do continue."

"Actually if you don't mind, I think I'd like to turn in. Long day today and I hope to have another tomorrow."

They both stood up at the same time as I did. They didn't rebut my request.

"Sleep well," they said in unison.

…

..

.

I paced my room, back and forth… back and forth, trying to grasp the logic of what has happened these past two days. My dreams are so vivid, I'm absolutely certain that she was real. And their reasoning for me to be here, Aro's artwork, I find it highly doubtful. I saw the way they both looked at me today, like I was theirs for the taking.

_Why am I __really_ _here?_

After an hour of not finding any answers, I find my medication and allow it to ease my anxiety. I close my eyes feeling the sleep over take me. "Come for me," her voice woke me up. I quickly sat up and listened for it again.

Moments passed. I looked to the window and caught a glimpse of the almost full moon, shining illuminating the sky.

"Come," her voice lured me out of bed. I walked to her beat. I could feel her all around me.

Lead me where you want me," I say to myself. Like the night before I found the art piece hanging at the end of a hallway; however this time, the door behind it is present. Only this time it has no door handle or key lock. I push it open and descend down the stairs towards the basement.

"There you are." I smile like a fool as I walk towards Mia Bellisima. I stop and tilt my head up to see her in all her glory. Her skin quickly catches my attention, the painting has changed. Her body was once covered in key holes, they're now gone, only smooth skin remains.

"Bella!" I touch her skin and wish I could feel the silkiness for real. "What next?" My fingers slide up and ghost across her bottom lip. My imagination haunts me. _Damn I'm exhausted. _Because I swear I just saw her eyes move.

…

..

.

Days passed and I quickly learned that I would only find the door I sought at night. So I busied myself during the day, finding new art for Aro to obtain and buyers owners for his current collection.

I don't feel like myself anymore. I feel more alert and surprisingly less anxious. I know Aro has an agenda, but I try to stay a step ahead. Never allowing myself time with him, other than business.

I have noticed he's become antsier, less patient with me. A few times Tanya has had to walk him away as I went straight to my room for the rest of the evening, but every night I see my Bella. And every night her painting becomes more real. The illusions once painted over her skin were now gone.

I can't wait to see her again. I throw the pills in my mouth and wait for her to call me like she does each night. I close my eyes, wanting to hear it but my whole body stiffens and becomes paralyzed as I recognize the sound. I can't open my eyes, hardly breathing as the hissing becomes deafening. I feel my throat constrict as I feel it slither around my neck, wringing its long body, choking me.

_Bella!_ _They've won. I'm sorry._ I feel myself give as all my life begins to flow out of me. _I love you__,__ Bella._

I cough blood onto my pillow as I wake from the nightmare. I panic seeing the red stain on the once white case. I try to catch my breath, move my fingers and limbs, and am relieved that they function. My eyes search the room. Everything is normal.

I know I need to see her, so I run to her. Down the stairs and through the dark basement. I stop to catch my breath before I stand straight and smile. "Beautiful," I touch her body. All her curves stand out now in 3D. Her skin feels so soft underneath the tips of my fingers. I feel the roundness of her breasts. She immediately erases all my fear and anxiety.

I bring my lips to her throat and feel her pulse pounding beneath it. As the days progress she is becoming real. My fingers tangle in her long brown hair. I continue touching her, feeling the need to be closer. Her face is frozen still, but her lips are mine for the taking.

She is mine, and if being here brings her to me, I'd give anything. I am hers, always was, and always will be.

"Tell me what's next, Bella," I whisper in her ear as I hear the snake hiss from behind me. I turn and stand guard in front of Bella. I chuckle at the slithering object in front of me, the eyes glowing with fire and evil. Because I have _her_, I'm no longer scared.

The following morning I'm woken by a startling scream. I dash out of bed and run down the hall to see what was causing such a stir.

"Tanya…Morte…mia Tanya."

Aro was kneeling on the ground. I stepped forward and recognized the strawberry blonde hair sprawled across the tiles; her skin is ash white with red veins under her eyes.

All household staff was hovering, however they quickly turned and vanished as I looked away from the dead body.

"Edward!" Aro called me.

His face lifted and I could see the pain clearly etched in his eyes. "My daughter is dead," he seethed.

_Daughter?_

"She died." He stood slowly. "From someone else's hand."

I step back, feeling the need to distance myself. "Aro I…"

"For your own safety, I need you to stay in your room today." He placed his hand on my shoulder. "My daughter was killed late last night. I don't want the same future for you."

"I…"

"Now go." It wasn't a request, it was an order.

…

..

.

The sun filtered into my room as thoughts of Tanya played in my mind. Her lifeless body sprawled on the ground; her skin looking almost like it had been burned. How that could be, I don't know. Images of her neck came to mind, and how Aro had discreetly covered the two puncture holes with her hair before I stepped closer. But I saw it, I know that I hadn't imagined them.

I spent the day alone, watching the full moon rise. I jumped when there was a knock at my door.

I scrambled up from my bed and open the door wide and saw Aro standing on the other side of the threshold, dressed in a modern black fitted suit. "Come Edward, let's celebrate. There's a change of clothes for you in the closet. Change and meet me downstairs."

I nod and close the door. Confused as to what we were celebrating.

I open the closet to find an old style suit hanging on the otherwise bare rack. I stare at the garment, feeling the material and wondering where I had seen it before. I reluctantly slip it off the hanger and undress, and cover my body in the dated outfit. I step to the mirror and once again get the feeling of déjà vu. I've seen this image of myself before, on nights previous, my hair styled and face shaven clean.

I turn away from the mirror and feel as if time changed, little things here and there are different now. There are no lights, no electrical outlets, nothing modern, nothing from my current lifetime.

"Tonight my love," I close my eyes as her voice surges through me.

"Tonight," I whisper back.

When I open my eyes I see a worn wooden box on the dresser, I know that it wasn't there moments before. I lift the lid and admire the silver dagger that rested inside. My fingers wrapped around the antique wood handle, I twist it back and forth admiring the intricate design that was etched along the handle. My eyes caught sight of three initials.

E. A. M

I wondered to myself, who the initials stood for and found it ironic that two out of three were like my own. I held the dagger close to my chest as another light knock sounded at my door. I instinctively knew the dagger needed to be hidden; I open the left side of my vest and found a slit cut in the material.

I slid the knife into it gently, closing my vest up and am satisfied to not see it in my reflection. I open the door and reveal two beautifully dressed women. Their hair is curled and their breasts are almost spilling out of their corset tops. Their hour glass waists had my full attention. I'm a man after all.

"Buona Serra Mr. Cullen," They both smiled at me with a look of lust in their eyes.

"Buona Serra signorina," I grabbed each of their hands and placed a kiss on top of them. I felt a rush of arousal course through me, seeing them and smelling their mouthwatering scents.

They both entered my room, the brunette closing the door while the redhead stalked me like I was her prey. "Tu se Bello," she purred, grabbing a hold of the collar of my shirt.

"Grazie," I thanked her for her compliment. Her eyes seemingly to captivate my every coherent thought. I wanted to see her naked. I wanted her in my bed, both of them.

"Is that what you want?" she asked me. I didn't care that she somehow knew my thoughts. I nod yes and allow her to push me to lie back on my bed. I watched them both stand at the foot of the bed, they turned to one another and began to undo the others dress.

Their breasts bounced down and I salivated at the sight of their hardened nipples. They each stepped out from their gowns and stood closer to one another, completely naked. A devilish grin crossed both their faces before they leaned into one another and began to kiss.

My dick was rock hard, watching these two beautiful women kissing in front of me. I wanted to take part. "Vieni qua," I called them to me. They both crawled onto the bed and I took turns kissing them, one to my left, the other to my right. Their hands began roaming over my body, and stroking my cock through my pants.

"You have too many clothes on," one of them spoke as I kissed the other. I felt my clothes loosen, my pants pulled down my legs and off my body. The redhead straddled my hips, grinding her wet pussy over my erection.

I was lost in the feel of her body against mine. I couldn't focus on the words that they spoke to one another in Italian. _Oh god, _I felt my body responding to their attention. I knew I was about to explode if she kept going, teasing me like she was.

My stomach tightened, I closed my eyes shut, trying to buy myself some more time. When I opened them, my lungs closed up. The one grinding me arched her back and opened her mouth. I couldn't breathe. Her teeth transformed into fangs. I looked over to the other and saw her eyes burning gold and red.

_Holy fuck. _Any erection I had was instantly gone. My mind focused on the demons, the vampires that were with me. At the exact second one was about to bite me, I grabbed the dagger from my vest pocket and stabbed her in the heart. She gasped and right in front of me her skin began to crack. I heard the other hiss in anger.

My self-defense kicked in, I used the dead vampire as a shield as I blocked the other from attacking me. She snapped at me like a shark, her teeth were sharp as one. I pulled the dagger from the redhead's chest, allowing her limp body to fall to the ground.

I held the dagger towards the vampire now wanting me as her meal. I knew what she was, and deep down I somehow knew that I had the skills and knowledge to kill her. "You should have never come," she hissed, stepping closer.

"It was only time before I returned," I said confidently.

Her evil chuckle echoed in my ears. "Aro will be pleased with me, once I kill you." Her tongue licked the ends of each fang.

"And my Bella will kill you before you even have a chance." In that split second, I saw her eyes open wide with fear. I took advantage, throwing the dagger right into the left side of her chest.

The scream that escaped her mouth shattered all the windows and mirrors in the room. Her body shriveled into a ball, and combusted into ash. I felt my chest heaving from adrenaline. I rushed to the pile of ash and quickly sifted through it and found my dagger, shining bright from under the dust.

I wiped my hands on the bed sheets before placing the dagger back into my vest pocket and redressing in my pants. I didn't bother cleaning up after myself, I snuck out of the room and walked to the dining room as if nothing happened.

I could hear the orchestra playing, I entered the room not shocked to see couples dancing and twirling on the dance floor. Everyone kept to themselves as I entered further. I wound through the crowd looking for one person. In the corner of the room I saw him, sitting in a thrown like chair, women all around him.

Without making eye contact he knew I was standing next to him. "I see you have finally joined us, Mr. Cullen."

"Yes, I was distracted momentarily, but nothing would stop me from missing this celebration."

His face whipped to look at me, he knew from what I said that the two women were taken care of. A flash of hate crossed his face before he stood and laughed. He clapped his hands together, grabbing the attention of the room. The music stopped, the dancers stilled.

"Everyone," he spoke loudly. "I want everyone to please welcome my guest from America."

All eyes looked towards mine as if they were programmed, hypnotized to do so.

"No need for tha,t Aro," I felt my pulse quicken.

"Mr. Mase,n calm down." He stepped down from the platform he sat upon.

_Masen?_

He saw my reaction. "Oh Mr. Cullen. Did I let you in on a secret?" He chuckled at my expense. "Did you not know that your blood name was Masen? That happens to be the same name as your doctor, does it not?"

I stumbled back as memories of Dr. Masen came to mind, from when I was a child to the last time I sat in his office as an adult.

"Mr. Cullen for a smart man, you should have caught on." I stared at Aro. "Your visions, he prevented you from finding her. All those years he made you think she was a hallucination." He smiled evilly. "Oh how easy it was to corrupt your father."

"My father?"

"He didn't have the blood of a Masen like your ancestors. He was a chicken, a wimp. He did anything I compelled him to do, that is until you received a call that was made without my awareness." He grew angry as he spoke. "It was too late for me to stop you, so here you are."

I stood, shaking a bit. My heart racing in my chest.

"She called you here to kill me, but I won't let that happen," he threatened.

I panicked ran, but before I could escape he was blocking the entrance in front of me at an inhuman speed. "You're in a rush Edward? That's not how you leave a celebration." He cocked an eyebrow.

He knew he had me. I was human after all, no special powers, no speed or strength to help me. Even if I grabbed the dagger from my vest, I knew he was quicker and would stop me, stabbing myself instead.

_Stay calm. _

"You family has been a thorn in my side since the 1600's. Somehow one bastard was born after another, but you see my daughter Isabella still haunts us both. She seeks revenge on me, for freezing her in limbo."

"You'll be okay…" her beautiful voice swept through my mind.

"You almost managed to set her free Edward. You were persistent, but I'm faster and smarter. You see, she needs your blood to break the spell. And well…I have it first." He smiled and showed his fanged teeth.

In seconds I was prisoner in his hold. "My daughter will be damned forever now." I felt his teeth cut into my neck. My mouth fell open, trying to grab an ounce of air. My head felt light as he began to drink my blood. I felt myself start blacking out until I was thrown to the ground.

I was weak. I held my throat and watched Aro, staggering like a drunk. "No…this isn't possible…" he stumbled back and knocked over the table next to him.

I stood up slowly, knowing this was the only chance I had. I walked towards him, grabbing the knife with my blood covered hand. Aro was lying on his back, his eyes full of fear. "You may be faster Aro…" I held up the dagger and saw the initials. Edward Anthony Masen. "But my blood runs deep, and I knew the only chance I had was to weaken you for even just a moment." I remembered the glass of water I had earlier in my room, before the evil women came. Filled in that glass, was vervain. Enough to be in my bloodstream to paralyze Aro to give me a chance.

I only ran earlier to seem scared, weak, and unaware of the situation I was in. How I knew about the effects of vervain, on Aro, I'm not exactly sure.

"She's compelled you!" he stuttered as I held the dagger above his heart. "You don't want to do this."

I stared into his eyes, and with no hesitation or sympathy I drove the ancient dagger into his cold blooded heart. I watched him die from my hand. His skin first turned to stone, then to ash. And like magic, all the people in the room were broken from their spells. They all began to hug and console one another.

I ran, leaving the room to find my Bella! Skidding to a stop at the base of the mural she once was frozen in. She was gone. The painting now stood empty. I looked around the cave and fell to my knees in defeat. Everything I had done was for nothing.

"Edward!"

I gasped at the closeness of her voice. I stood and turned to see her beautiful face in front of me, in the flesh. Her skin was pale like I'd always envisioned. Her brown hair curled and pinned over her right shoulder. She was gorgeous in her gold and cream colored gown.

She stepped forward, her eyes batting innocently. "You came for me!"

I swallowed hard. "Yes."

Her face tilted to the right as she looked me in the eye. "How can I ever thank you?"

I knew the answer to that question and so did she. I smiled and placed my hands on her waist, pulling her closer to me. I needed to feel her in my arms, smell her, and have her as my own. I looked into her eyes, my lips feathering hers. "I love you." I pressed my mouth to hers.

She slipped her hands behind my head, her fingers threading through my long strands. Her mouth opened and allowed my tongue to slide in and taste hers. I began to unbutton the back of her dress as her slender fingers began to undo my shirt.

Kissing, undressing, and showing one another with our mutual love. All my life I've felt out of place, and I know now that was because this was my home. With Bella in my arms, everything feels right.

She stepped out of her dress, allowing it to pool on the floor around her feet. Her naked body was more magnificent now than it had been in the mural. She felt real. She was real.

She sat down, using her dress as a blanket beneath her and beckoned me to join with her. "Come."

I licked my lips, stepped out of my pants, effectively showing her what she did to me. I knelt on my knees and sat beside her, allowing her to roll me on my back.

"I have waited for you for centuries." She kissed my mouth gently. "You smell even better than I remember."

I closed my eyes, allowing her fingers to feel my skin. Her nose slide against my face and into my hair so she could smell me. "I want you Edward." She straddled my waist. I could feel her heat against my erection.

"Have me!" I stated and groaned as she sank herself onto me without warning.

She nipped at my skin with her teeth as she began to grind against me. Her hands held my own against the ground above my head. I was hers. All of hers.

"I'm yours," I breathed as she sat up, her stomach flat and toned, her breasts bouncing with each thrust I pushed into her, my hands gripping her hips, holding her to me. She tilted her head back; her long brown hair tickled the tops of my thighs.

"You're mine?" she asked.

"Yes." I watched her face tilt down to look at me, her eyes glowed black, the corners of her lips curling up until her teeth glistened.

She was beautiful. The site of her above me had my stomach tighten. I felt all my arousal build up and threaten to release. Her mouth dashed to my neck, a crunching sound was made as she bit into me.

Unlike with Aro, I felt aroused by her lips on me. The thought of her taking me as her own had the coil in my stomach unwind. I came hard, grunting at the feel of my blood being sucked and my dick exploding into her.

I was exhausted, barely able to keep my eyes open, but I watched her sit up, my blood trickling down her chin. "I love you, Edward." Her tongue cleaned her red stained lips. "All those nights I tasted your blood, it was enough for me to come alive. To break us from the curse that has kept us apart." She bit into her wrist, puncturing her skin and lowered it to my mouth. "Now drink from me my love…and I shall be yours. Forever."


	6. Day 5 Chartwilightmom

31 Days of Halloween

Author:Chartwilightmom

Title: Illusions

Rated: M

Pairing: Edward and Bella

Word count: 2405

Picture prompt #5 (picture can be found at~ tfadvocacy dot blogspot dot com)

Summary: What happens when makeup/special effects artist Edward works with actress Bella Swan on a new film? Well, you're about to find out. AH/OCC

Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are property of Stephenie Meyer. This story is in no way an attempt at copyright infringement. This story and all plot lines therein are the property of chartwilightmom ©2011.

CTM A/N: Thanks to MarchHare5 for beta'ing and Elvirina for pre-reading. I'm a huge fan of Halloween, seriously you should see my house, it's like orange and black threw up all over the place. My kids ask me all the time 'why so much mom?' I just roll my eyes of course. Onesweetbell asked me to join in on this and I just couldn't resist. Hope you enjoy!

"Morning, boss."

"Riley, I've told you to call me Edward," I remind him, settling into the passenger seat of the van.

He laughs nervously. He is still nervous even after six months of working for me as my assistant. "Sure thing, bo… Edward."

Riley is a good guy, and I can see why he would be nervous. Without meaning to, I have developed a reputation as being "difficult" to work for in the film industry. But I demand perfection and delivery of my ideas, and in the past most of my assistants haven't been able to handle my requirements.

But Riley has done the best job out of all of my assistants, hence the reason he still is under my employment this long. Now that I have someone qualified and able to perform the tasks I give him or her, I have gone out of my way to make sure he is more comfortable around me.

As a makeup and special effects artist, it is my job to create, to help change and alter the appearance of a person into the character that they are turning themselves into. The illusion I create with makeup and paint is key in giving the audience the best possible escape into the world on the screen.

When I first started in this business as an assistant myself, I was put on sets to enhance the beauty of the actors and actresses, but as I learned more, I found that I held a fascination with going in the opposite direction.

But to me, making monsters isn't creating something ugly; it is art, my own brand of beauty. I have always heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this is never so true to me as when I look at a creation of mine.

There is something about creating a monster, something that is not of our normal world. Different colors, bumps and edges, textures; everything coming together to elicit an emotion. The face and body of the actor has given me a canvas on which to create such beauty.

So what happens when one of the most beautiful actresses in Hollywood is my next canvas? Well, I guess I am about to find out.

_Fall to Pieces_ is the latest film in development by Whitlock Productions, and I am hired not only to be the head makeup artist and special effects, but also to work with my longtime friend, Jasper Whitlock, the director of the film, in developing the right look for the main character.

Working with Jasper has been a long-term goal of mine, but it hasn't happened since our schedules and projects never landed on the same path until now.

And in working with Jasper comes working with his creative partner, Alice, his wife. Alice is one of the best costume designers in all of Hollywood. All of us are working closely together on this project. Over the past month the three of us have spent countless hours on the creative process.

Before I know it, we are parking in front of Whitlock Productions, shooting the lead female role in full makeup for press and media.

This, of course, being none other than Isabella Swan, or Bella as she has told me to call her. We have met a few times during pre-production and the short makeup tests, not having had any real time to get to know each other, but just enough to become comfortable with the amount of time we will be spending together on set with her in my makeup chair.

And I might or might not have a slight crush on her.

Riley and I unload and make our way into the building. After being led by a production assistant towards the back, we find ourselves in a medium-size room, a standard makeup/dressing room setup.

"Happy Halloween!"

I turn to see where the cheerful sentiment is coming from, only to find Alice with Bella at her side, standing in the open doorway, the pair of them looking like cats that ate not only the canary, but also the whole aviary.

"Don't remind me," I tell them.

"What's wrong, Edward? You don't like Halloween?"

"I don't care for the commercialism of it all," I respond. "Give me things that go bump in the night anytime." My eyes fail me as I say this, staring directly at Bella.

Yeah, I might have meant that more than one way.

Bella Swan is truly one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. She doesn't know it, or at least doesn't acknowledge it to anyone.

I can't help but flirt with her.

"Bump, bump bump," Bella says, giggling.

Alice rolls her eyes and jumps right into another topic. "How long do you need to get ready?"

"Less than an hour."

The girls leave Riley and me to unpack and set up everything we need to transform Bella from her natural state of beauty to the beauty of a monster.

We prepare for all the stages that we will put Bella through, giving her a transition from start to finish of the movie. The last thing I do is set up my iPod dock, place my iPod in it, and hit shuffle.

Alice returns with five copies of Bella's wardrobe, fake blood applied on each, increasing in coverage on each piece. "I've taken pictures of each set, so we can duplicate them if needed during shooting."

"Okay. How many sets do you have total?"

Alice and I continue to talk about the wardrobe as Bella returns, wearing a worn looking button-down shirt and a pair of yoga pants with flip-flops.

She looks relaxed, not at all like some of the talent I have had to work with in the past.

"Ready?" I ask her, smiling and blushing under the intensity of her stare.

"Very," she replies. There is a twinkle in her eye as she says this, looking at me like I am something to eat.

Once I have her in my makeup chair, I start to work. Beyond our flirting, we fall into a comfortable conversation, flowing from one topic to the next. I find that we have similar taste in music as well as a love for reading.

In other encounters with Bella, she has always seemed friendly and welcoming towards me. But something seems different with her today. The way that she is flirting with me seems stronger, much more directed than random. I begin to wonder if she really likes me.

"I prefer E. E. Cummings, something very erotic about his use of words," she says, explaining her preference for poetry.

"I've never been a fan of poetry," I admit, grinning at the thought of Bella reading anything erotic. "A good mystery novel can be very erotic."

I glance up to find her staring at me as I continue to apply the scars on her torso. She blinks a few times, then blushes the most luscious color of pink. Oh, if I could duplicate that color, so warm. The color just makes me want to touch her face.

We get through the first four stages of her transformation, stopping and spending an hour or so with the photographer for each one.

As I prepare to start the last phase, the one in which she goes from being a rather normal-looking woman to the monster, I stop and stare at her as she talks to Alice, popping some pieces of a sandwich in her mouth.

As I watch her open her mouth, waiting for each bite, I find myself wishing I could taste her, her plump lips, with gentle kisses, my tongue exploring and drawing pleasure from her.

It occurs to me that my crush isn't a maybe anymore, it is very much a yes, and I realize that I am fucked.

Shaking the thoughts from my head of asking Bella out, I get back to work.

An hour later, Bella is ready.

She is wearing a sweater soaked in blood along the bottom of her stomach and wrists. Her black jeans have some blood on the front with the button undone and the zipper partway down. It kills me to see the spot of blood on the white cotton panties.

Four parts of the sweater below her breast have been randomly cut out like pieces of a puzzle, leaving blood red, tissue-looking wounds. When I had placed the special effects to give the empty puzzle pieces that gore needed for film, I found my hands not wanting to leave her warm body.

She has two protruding stakes, one on her left wrist, the other on the left side of her ribs; together they cross each other. We developed these rubber insertions, painted just right to make them look like they are the heavy metal that they should be.

Her face looks like someone decided to perform amateur surgery on her. She has these hand-stitched scars along the bridge of her nose and along the side of her face, like she is some kind of doll.

I know all this is fake; I helped apply it, for God's sake.

But seeing her like this, like she is in pain—it hurts me. She is unlike anything I have ever created before, unique.

She stands and looks herself over in the full-length mirror, her eyes glossing over with wetness.

"Perfect," I whisper, watching her become emotional over her transformation. I can't help but feel accomplished; of all my work this creation is the one I feel the most proud.

Her eyes find mine in the mirror, and her mouth falls open as if she wants to speak.

My feelings are all over the place. I want to hold her, tell her that her pain isn't real, that it is all part of the illusion we are trying to create. I want to stand in front of her, protect her from those that have hurt her and given her the scars and soaked her in blood. Then there is a part of me that wants to get to know her better, to take her on a date and let myself fall.

She would be easy to fall for; that I am sure of.

Before I can process these feelings, she is off to the photographer. I follow, leaving Riley to clean up our gear and start to pack the truck. After Bella gets done, I just have to help her remove everything, and take off all the makeup.

She is calm during the photos and you can sense that she is folding herself into the character, allowing all her emotions to flow, wielding her craft. They have her against a wooden fence; her head hangs, and she doesn't look defeated, but instead in acceptance of her life.

The day is over, and all photos have been taken of Bella in the different stages of her character in the film. She looks tired when she follows me back to my room, time ticking away before she can go home.

She is quiet when she gets into the chair, and I assume that she is reflecting on her character. Her eyes close, and I just allow the music in the background to be the only noise in the room.

Riley has almost all the gear and has taken the largest load back to the van, leaving just Bella and myself.

Swiping her arms, she seems to melt into the chair further. The makeup comes off easier than I expect, and I am happy to see that her skin has taken the full makeup without a reaction.

I move to her body, the six inches of her smooth stomach that is covered in fake blood and specifically placed cuts and scars. I use a larger cloth this time, using the flatness of my hand to rub and remove.

"You probably should take a shower soon; this paint is everywhere," I say as I run my fingers along her stomach, watching as she shivers. "And there might be some residue left."

"Okay," she breaths, keeping her eyes closed.

Once I have as much of the paint off as possible, I move to her neck.

"I've always been a big fan of yours," she says out of the blue, breaking her silence.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"I'm a big fan of yours, too," I admit.

"I thought you said you never saw any of my movies?"

Taking a moment, I continue to remove the makeup, moving to her face. "I lied."

Her eyes pop open, her eyes showing a mixture of sadness and relief. "Is there anything else that you have lied to me about?"

"Are you calling me out?"

"I just don't want to be lied to, especially by you," she quietly says.

"What would you say if I asked you out, hypothetically?"

"Hypothetically, I would say yes, that I've wanted you to ask me out from the first moment I met you."

Smiling and probably blushing a little, I continue to work at removing the makeup.

"I don't want to lie to you; I would never want to hurt you. I like you too much. Maybe more than I should."

"I like you, too," she sweetly says.

"You do?"

"Yeah."

I lean over her, moving the soft cloth along her face, pressing her head into the headrest of the chair, remaining gentle with each swipe. "Is this real, that we like each other?"

She giggles, creating the sweetest sound, one I want to hear again. "I think we are breaking any misconceptions that there isn't something going on between us."

Staring at her, she looks happy, even with some of the scars on her face, an illusion of my own creation.

I lick my own lips, looking at her eyes then to her mouth. Slowly, I lower my head, my lips gently meeting hers. She is immediately responsive to my forwardness, opening her mouth, her tongue seeking mine, tender and needy at the same time.

To finally taste her is no longer a wonder for me; I feel the softness of her, the warmth of her breath. The kiss feels like it lasts forever, when actually it only goes on for just a moment, and in the blink of an eye I am pulling back and looking at her.

"Bella, would you like to go get some dinner?"

"Yeah, I really would," she responds, smiling.

No illusions now, just reality.


	7. Day 6 BellaJacobsen

Dear Readers,

Day 6 belongs to BellaJacobsen but she is having internet issues so we are simply putting this here as a place marker for her! When she has the ability to email it to us then we will replace this with her chapter


	8. Day 7 LoopyLou992

31 Days of Halloween

Title: A Vampires Curse

Author: Loopylou992

Rated M

Pairing Bella & Edward

Word count 3579

Picture prompt #7

Summary Bella is a vampire, living with the Cullen's she had everything she ever wanted. So why is she so unhappy and what happens when she makes one little mistake that will change everything forever.

Disclaimer I do not own any of these characters and no copyright infringement is intended

I am fed up of people always sticking their noses into my business, Edward his family, Sam, Jacob, I could go on but the list would be endless. Frustrated I take it out on a passing herd of Cariboo, hunting them down. I am aware that I'm not alone out here, I never am. They won't let me hunt alone, they are afraid I think that I will kill someone else, but that was a slip. What was I supposed to do? I was a newborn then and not in control of my thirst. They took me out to hunt without any real thought for how I felt, I was crazed and thirsty. The poor hiker was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, I can still remember how good he tasted as him warm blood left his body and coated my throat.

That was the first and last time The Cullen's let me out of any of their sight to hunt, they say it's for my own safety, and that of anyone who may happen to be around but if I am honest, I feel like a prisoner in a gilded cage, I can have anything that I want, other than freedom and some space.

When James bit me in the dance studio in Phoenix, Edward hesitated for too long, he couldn't bring himself to drink my blood, he had resisted it for so long despite the longing that he said that he felt for it. Because he waited, fighting with his own inner demon that gave the venom spread and he couldn't suck the venom out of my blood, yeah he just wasn't man enough. I snicker to myself at the thought.

He told me that he loved me, as I loved him but once I was undergoing the transformation process I could hear the conversations around me, they haunt me to this day. Edward didn't want me to become one of them, I knew that, although I always held the hope that he would change his mind, eventually. I hadn't expected the same reaction from the rest of his family though. I thought that they loved me, they accepted me as part of their family. Then when they thought that I couldn't hear them, I discovered the truth. They were planning to leave before my 'accident', the whole scenario of Edward being in love with me was a pretense to stop me telling people what they really were after I stumbled across their secret. Their secret had to remain protected at all costs. Mine and Edward's relationship bought them time so that they could make their plans and then leave without it looking suspicious. Quite what they had planned for me was a mystery, I think that they would have just mysteriously vanished one day, leaving me behind as if they never existed. I cannot dwell on that, decisions have been were made, and all this is out of my control now, there is no going back. I am now like them, a vampire.

I hear branches snap nearby as someone comes close to me, they know better than to approach me when I am feeding, I am possessive about my kills and will snap their arms off it they get too close. I pause smelling the air, of course it is Edward who is following me, it's usually him He steps forward in a submissive posture and waits until I have fed. I leap on him, pinning him to the nearest tree, I growl at him.

"What the fuck do you want now, can a girl get no peace around here?"

"I'm… I'm sorry. Carlisle has called a meeting back at the house and you have to be there." He mumbles.

"Oh great. Carlisle commands, and I must obey. Wonderful, I wanted to hunt."

I release him and he falls to the ground, causing me to laugh, I remember the days when I was the weakling and he was strong and powerful. Not anymore, I still have newborn strength and power running through me, and I will use it if necessary. I race back towards the house leaving Edward behind.

I burst through the doors with more force than necessary, smashing it into the wall where it shatters and splinters into a thousand pieces. Esme looks at me with disdain on her face and I cannot resist.

"Whoops! Sorry didn't mean to be so clumsy. Sometimes I forget my own strength."

I follow this up with a sweet smile, and seems to have forgiven me. We take our seats around the large table and wait for Edward as he runs him behind me taking his seat next to me.

Carlisle clears his throat and begins to speak.

"I have called this meeting as Alice has had a vision that disturbed her greatly. She saw Bella's future vanish completely. Despite frantic searching this has not come back."

He pauses looking at us all. Whoopee, my future vanished, I roll my eyes, and then notice that I am being glared at by the rest of the family, so I immediately go on the defensive.

"What? C'mon it's not like she is 100% accurate. I mean look at her prediction that you would get to me in time, and I would be human still."

"That is a cheap shot Bella, even for you." Alice hisses as Jasper puts his arm around her.

"Sorry, it's true though. These things are never set in stone, things can change, it's a bit like a weather forecast, not always accurate"

Glancing around the room I take in six horrified faces, I was only speaking the truth.

Carlisle tries to regain control as they all begin to speak at once, voicing their opinions at me. Eventually he stands raising his voice above those in the room.

"Please! Let me finish. As I was saying, Bella's future vanished, but one the last images that Alice saw was… well… I don't really know how to put this-"

I have had enough of games, and I demand,

"Spit it out Carlisle, then we can all get on with our lives, sorry should that be deaths?"

Rose shoots me a look that would have killed me had I already not been dead, and I feel a growl rise in my throat. Edward puts his hand on mine, and I pull it away like I have been scolded, he cannot even look at me. I know he has seen what Alice saw, his face says it all, he looks upset.

Carlisle continues, "As I was saying, this is a rather delicate subject. So forgive me if I appear hesitant. Bella, just before Alice saw your future vanish she saw you… you were… well… it was-"

Alice spoke again in a low voice, "Carlisle, it's okay. I will tell them. Bella, you were with a woman, I don't know who I saw was you and her and then I saw this picture flash before my eyes before you vanished." Alice thrusts a hand drawn picture across the table towards me, it is of two women together, in some kind of passionate embrace. I drop it as if it is made of white hot metal.

"What! You think that I would… that me and… You think that I am going to… Christ Alice!"

I storm out of the room heading out into the garden, I cannot bear to be near any of them, but Alice decides to follow me outside, she puts her arms around me and I flinch.

"Bella, I would never lie to you, this is what I saw. I can only say what I have seen. You know I have to say when I see something that could affect the family. Just be careful, that is all I am saying."

She leaves me and goes back inside.

Why are they doing this to me? Since my transformation I have grown ever more distant from the Cullen's. I resent them for not saving me from this eternal damnation. I thought that I wanted to be one of them, but now that I have it, I wish with all my un beating heart and dead soul that I could give it back, that I could be around my friends once again, to go out in the sun. Even to sleep would be something. I miss the simple things, most of all I miss my family.

My father Charlie died of a heart attack when he heard that I had been seriously injured in a car accident whilst en route to visit Mom in Phoenix. We had rowed and I left, he blamed himself. What he didn't know was the accident was the cover story for my transformation time following James biting me. I feel bad that he died blaming himself for something that never happened. That is another reason that I now hate the Cullen's, but I have no choice but the stay with them in their care as my Mom is off travelling with her new husband Phil.

I stay outside, still and like stone until I feel his presence near me. Despite the fact that we will never be as we were, I still get that tingle across my skin when he is near me. I turn to face him, and for a split second I swear that I see some form of affection in his eyes, and then just as quickly it is extinguished. He walks over to me, taking up a position next to me and tells me,

"You were out of order back there Bella, Alice was only showing some concern for you. There was no need to be-"

I interrupt him, knowing that I can finish his sentence far better for him.

"A bitch? Yes Edward, we all know what a bitch I can be. You changed me into this and now you have to live with it. Please don't ask me to be easy on Alice, she goes around making these wild claims about my future, yet she couldn't see that my Dad would die of a broken heart because of your weakness."

He looks taken aback at my bluntness, but I am growing tired of the games they play with each other. I have fed, it is safe for me to be alone for a while, as I leave I brush past him

I race through the forest knowing that I am alone, Edward knows better than to follow me when I am angry. I need to be left, to calm down. I have been running for miles now and I have no idea where I am other than it is not in Forks. The rain starts to fall heavily and I hate getting wet. Thunder rumbles and lightening streaks across the sky, then I see a log cabin ahead of me, I head across to it, I can sense someone is inside, but they are asleep. I just need to shelter from the rain so I make my over, planning to stay on the porch until the storm passes. As I make my way onto the porch the smell that permeates the air makes my throat burn like never before, and before I know it I am inside, making my way towards the source of the deliciously spellbinding scent.

Lying there in the bed is a woman and she is alone, venom rises in my throat, and I am powerless to stop myself from moving forward. I stand next to the bed looking at her sleeping form, jealousy runs through me as I wish I could sleep. The monster inside me stirs, and I know that it wants feeding. She smells amazing, and I am powerless to resist. I climb onto the bed straddling my prey, and yet she had not stirred from her slumber. I gently move her hair away from her neck and I see the jugular vein throbbing away as it pumps blood around her body. Delicious, warm blood, she stirs and opens her eyes, fear passes through them as she realizes that she is not alone, although she is not sure who or what I am, as she moves to sit upright in bed, I strike.

I push her backwards onto the bed with a little more force than I intended. Before I know what I am doing I am pinning her to the bed. The monster is now fully awake and straining to be released. I hear my mobile phone ring and I ignore it.

I cannot control the feelings within me, I have never ever felt such passion in my life, combined with a burn in my throat which I do recognize, bloodlust. Try as I might I cannot ignore that, I pin her hands above her head holding her firmly in place, She screams, not that there is anyone around here to help her. The monster takes over and I bite her soft neck piercing the soft supple skin.

Her blood flows into my mouth and down my throat, it tastes divine, and despite her screams I continue to drink from her, enjoying the taste as my thirst is quenched. Then I am aware that the door has been broken down and I am confronted by Carlisle, Edward, Jasper and Emmett. I take up a defensive crouch over my prey, she is mine, they will not take her from me.

Before I can realize what is happening Emmett has hold of me and I begin to thrash in his arms, he is mine and mine alone, they cannot have her I will not allow it.

Carlisle turns to Emmett, Take her back to the house. Now! I will deal with this when I return home. Do not let her out of your sight."

Emmett just nods in response and carries me out of the room. I can see Carlisle treating the woman as I am removed. Once outside I begin to feel weak and dizzy and begin slipping in and out of consciousness.

Emmett lays me on the ground, and Edward shouts to Carlisle to come and help. This reminds me of the time James attacked me for some strange reason. I then realize that we have been joined by someone else, I recognize the voice as being Sam Ulley from La Push, he was one of Jakes friends. They don't talk to me anymore, it's like I have been outcast by them as they can sense what I am. I hear Carlisle speak to Sam.

"Sam, I am so sorry, we tried to get here in time to stop her, but I think it's too late. What's happening to Bella? There is obviously something wrong with her, and she has only drunk from… I don't know who that is inside, I'm sorry Sam, please you have to tell me!"

As I begin to fade out the last sound I hear is Sam's laughter ringing in my ears, and the last memory that I have is seeing her body on the bed, blood flowing from her neck and on the wall there is a poster which looks familiar, of two women locked in a passionate embrace. I mutter one final word.

"Alice."

When I awake I feel strange, my limbs heavy and I cannot focus my eyes on anything. I hear a strange beeping noise which suddenly gets faster and faster as I struggle to open my eyes. I try to sit upright as panic rips through me, but I am held firmly in place by Edward. I struggle against him but I cannot break his hold. I look into his eyes, and see a sorrow there,

"Edward?"

I gasp. He looks away from me as he shouts.

"Carlisle! She is awake"

Carlisle bursts into the room and quickly assesses the situation.

"Edward, let her go, you are frightening her."

He releases his hold and I try to get up, only to realize I am restrained, I fight against them, but even with my enhanced strength I cannot break free.

"Carlisle, what is happening here?"

He walks over to me, sitting on the edge of the bed and that damn beeping noise getting faster and faster in response. Edward looks away, agony written all over his face. Carlisle puts his hand on mine and speaks.

"Bella, there is no easy way to say this. You attacked a woman in the woods."

He pauses letting his words sink in. No, he has to be lying to me, I wouldn't.

"You… you bit her, nearly draining her fully. We managed to get there in time to stop you killing her, but…"

He pauses and I take my chance.

"No! Your lying to me, I wouldn't… I couldn't hurt anyone, not again. No!"

I try to sit up again and free myself but Carlisle is too quick and before I know it I am starting to relax, then I see the syringe in his hand. I have to know more but I ask,

"What is that beeping?"

Carlisle and Edward exchange glances, what are they hiding from me. They said that the woman is alive so I don't understand.

Edward takes a breath and speaks in a low voice, almost a whisper.

"Bella, you are attached to various monitors, the beeping you can hear is, well, it's your heart beating."

I stare at them both, looking for any hint of deceit but find none.

"My… heart? But that stopped when I-"

"Transformed Bella. There is so much that we need to know, but yes your heart is now beating again, and from what Carlisle can tell, you are now human again." Edward whispers, a pained look crossing his face.

"What? I'm what!" I scream.

Carlisle tries to calm me, and talks to me to explain.

"Bella, I have spoken to Sam about this. I'm afraid that what Edward says is true. The woman you drank from in the woods is a member of their tribe. As you know the Quileute's are our sworn enemies. Is part of their legend that we did not know about. Their blood is dangerous to our kind, as ours is to theirs. The elders wrote of this happening once before, but the legend was so old Sam had to research it. Wolf blood if ingested by a vampire reverses the transformation. I wish that I could tell you more. But I have checked and you are, well, human again."

I stare at him open mouthed, amazed by what I am hearing, the words are not really making any sense to me. I gaze around the room and notice that yes, I am linked up to a monitor for my heart and it does appear to be beating. I yank the leads off me, not trusting them to be doing this as some kind of trick, the machine stops beeping. Edward simply smiles at me, sensing my confusion. He puts the pads onto his own chest to make a point as the monitor does not react to him. He smiles at me, gently stroking the side of my face with his hand, I pull away as if I have been burned. He looks hurt but I don't care, I am focusing on myself here.

I close my eyes, fighting back tears that I have been wanting to cry since my transformation. It is nice to be able to cry again, now all I want is to be alone.

They take the hint and leave me alone. I cry, sobs wracking my chest, until I am empty. Then I realize I am empty, and alone, no-one will want me now. I have pushed the Cullen's away with my anger, my father is dead and my mother no longer cares.

How long I lay there I don't know, but I rise with a sense of purpose and I know that I have to act, and act fast. I leap out of the bed and dress quickly, I grab the keys to Alice's Porsche, I need speed. I arrive down at La Push and burst into Sam's cabin to find that the woman I attacked is there, she is motionless in her bed, she looks pale and lifeless. There is a massive wound on her neck, I feel sick looking at her, knowing that I had caused this. Turning to leave I bump straight into Sam. He glares at me, grabbing my wrist he drags me outside pushing me to the ground.

"You are not welcome here. Now leave and don't come back. Ever!"

Sam is angry, he begins to shake again, and then I realize he is about to transform. I need to leave, quickly. I fly to the car and speed away from La Push. No-one wants me, I am nothing. I pull up at the cliff top where I had seen the men cliff diving, and I know that this is what I need to do. The Cullen's will not follow me here they are not allowed.

I step out of the car and walk towards the cliff edge, nerves nearly overcome me, but I have to be strong. I know that Alice will see this, and that it is too late for her to do anything about it. Their grief will fade, they will forget me, they do not want me in their lives.

Taking a deep breath, I jump into the darkness and I am consumed by it.

Authors Note:  
>This is my first one shot and thanks to the guys at Twilight Fanfic Advocacy for asking me to contribute! Thanks to my beta Cosmom, and my pre-readers Mamasutra &amp; Ffaddward You ladies ROCK! I am considering extending this beyond a one shot to a few more chapters so watch out! <div> 


	9. Day 8 Oneof Eddie'sGirls

**Penname: One of Eddies Girls**

**Title: Death**

**Rated: T**

**Pairing: Edward / Bella**

**Word Count:**** 1345**

**Picture Prompt: #8**

**Summary: What is the source of the strange violin music Bella hears one Halloween night on their drive home from a club?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, they all belong to SM I just wanted to play with them.**

******D******

He watched as the girl knelt begging for her life, but her time was up. It wasn't up to him anymore, she was on his list, and he had to take her.

The tears that streamed down her face didn't make any difference to him. He _was_ the Grim Reaper after all. All that his job required was to take the souls of the ones that died. He didn't much care for how or why they died, just for their souls. Growing tired of the begging he nodded to his companion to stop her violin playing lifted the sickle and with immense speed, that was only evident by the sound of the blade slicing through the wind he brought it across the middle of the woman's body and watched as the blade absorbed her soul.

"It's going to be a busy night my friend." The Reaper turned and addressed his companion as his book filled with three more souls to collect.

******D******

The group left the club after spending the night drinking and celebrating their favorite holiday of the year. As children Halloween was all about the candy, but now as adults it was all about being able to go out and get drunk at all the different costume parties the clubs held. The men liked to turn it into a contest and see how they could outdo each other with the off the wall costumes. Emmett usually won the bet the boys would have with each other, but they enjoyed doing it non-the-less. The only bad part about Emmett winning these bets was that as winner he got to pick what the drink of the night was going to be, which normally ended up being something that left them unable to walk in a straight line.

Laughing at another crazy comment made by Emmett -that probably didn't even make any sense— the friends walked towards their cars. They said their goodbyes before heading in the directions of their homes.

"Are you sure your okay to drive?" Bella asked Edward for about the hundredth time since they'd gotten in the car.

"Relax babe, I'm fine it's been about an hour since I had a drink," replied Edward, feeling quite exasperated. She'd asked him so many times, he was starting to believe that she didn't trust him or something.

Bella had a bad feeling that she couldn't shake, but let it go and decided to trust Edward's judgment on how he felt about his ability to drive them home.

******D******

Bella looked all around her for the source of the creepy, haunting violin music that played. She didn't know Edward for having anything like that in his CD collection, also she wondered at what point she fell asleep, because she felt so lost. She was completely disoriented, she didn't know where they were, the only thing she was aware of was the music, really, everything else just didn't register around her.

****D****

"Edward?"

"No. My Dear, Edward is not here anymore. He's already been taken. So has the little one. You will be taken shortly as well," said a low disconnected voice.

"Taken? Taken, where? And what little one?" The panic that was rising in Bella's throat showing through in her words.

"Why the little one that was in here." That is when Bella noticed the image she thought was a myth. The grim reaper standing in front of her with his long black cape, face in the shadows of his hood, tall sickle pointing at her womb and the a woman in red standing next to him with black hair, red dress a spear sticking out of her back and a blood soaked violin bow. That must be the source of the music Bella heard.

Realization hit Bella at that moment as well, she was pregnant and now she not only no longer was, but she'd also lost Edward and was about to die, but why?

"Your Edward was over confident, he made a bad choice, he wasn't sober enough to drive and the second he made that choice you three became a part of my list. And once you're on my list. There is no way of getting off. Now would you please like to do this the easy way and you can just hand me your soul or we can do it the hard way and I can take just it. Your Edward was a little difficult, and the little one he was ready to go, since he didn't know what he'd lost yet anyway." The reaper explained.

Bella didn't care, without her husband and now a missing child she didn't know she was carrying she had nothing to fight for. But she was going to ask a few things first, "will I see my Edward and little boy on the other side? And why the music?"

The reaper laughed a little at the last question. No one had ever asked him that one. "In answer of your questions. I have no control of what happens on the other side, so I don't know about your Edward. I'm just here to collect you. And the music is to help awaken your soul otherwise you wouldn't be able to see me. You're the only person whose ever asked that question."

"Well then let's go take me to my family." Bella walked to the reapers sickle touched the end of it and let him take her soul without a fight.

******D******

"Today we mourn the lives of two our very best friends. They will be missed each and every day more than anyone can ever imagine. Bella and Edward were more than friends they were family, they were our brother and sister. Halloween will forever be a tainted holiday for us. At one point it was all our favorites now it will be a day where we will remember the loss of two of our own." Tears were streaming down Alice's face as she tried to give the eulogy for her two best friends. They'd all decided it was best to have a joint funeral because not even in death would the couple want to be separated.

The church was filled with many mourners but none sadder then the four that sat in the front, Edward and Bella didn't have any family, The Masen's died when Edward was very young and Bella's mother had abandoned her to live with her father when she was a child. Charlie passed a few years after Bella graduated high school, so the only family they had was their four best friends. The one taking it all the hardest was Emmett, he felt responsible for what happened to his best friends, it'd been his drink choice that got them where they were now. Even though Rosalie spent hours reminding him that it wasn't his fault Edward chose to drink and drive Emmett couldn't stop the feeling of guilt that was inside of him.

Suddenly everything in the church went dark and creepy violin music began to play throughout the space. Then, a dark voice was heard saying, "Your friends are fine, they are in a wonderful place now, they are going to be waiting for you. They don't want you to cry for them anymore, they want you to be happy, and live, long satisfied lives. Because the next time you hear me will be the last." The music started up again and just as quickly everything was back to normal.

Everyone looked at each other not understanding what happened but with a strange feeling creeping up them that they didn't ever want to hear that sound again.

******D******

"So I have delivered your message to your friends, will you help me now?" The reaper asked Bella.

"We had a deal and I will always follow through with my end of a bargain." Just like that Bella picked up the bow to the violin as Edward took a hold of the sickle and black cape.

And so Edward and Bella along with their son began their reign as death.


	10. Day 9 Cherry Bella

**Author: Cherry Bella**

**Word Count: 1,230**

**Picture Prompt #9**

**EPOV**

It was past midnight and I had run out of ideas to coax my daughter into bed. She was glued to the window, staring at the waning crescent for the past two hours.

This was the mutt's fault and I was seriously going to kill him when I saw him next.

_Where is she?_

Nessie's thoughts brought my focus back on her. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose to remain calm before stepping closer to her.

"For the last time, Nessie, there is no witch," I repeated.

"No, no. Jake told me the witch comes tonight."

"There's no witch!" I shouted exasperated. "You're old enough to know better."

"Jake wouldn't lie to me," she said petulantly.

I snorted in disbelief. He was too cunning, always making her believe things that weren't true. She always listened to him. "I doubt it," I muttered.

_Are you calling him a lair? _She wondered quietly, finally tearing her eyes off the window to look at me.

"He likes to exaggerate. You should just go to sleep. It's late and you're going to be tired in the morning," I insisted. Besides, Bella was due back any moment and she'd probably twist my neck if she found her still awake.

_I'm not tired, Daddy. I want to see the witch._

I moaned, raising my arms above my head, in desperation.

The door of her room opened and Emmett stepped inside, carrying a plate with pumpkin pie.

"Emmett, it's too late to feed her," I told him annoyed.

He ignored me, going to sit next to Nessie. "Look what I got here. Your mommy's pumpkin pie!" he exclaimed.

Nessie gave him a bored look before focusing back on the sky. "I want the witch! They have to be real!" she whined.

"But they're not!" I insisted. "That's why the stories are called fiction."

"The stories about vampires are called fiction too, and they exist!" She pointed out.

"Because we keep our nature hidden from humans. Nessie, magic doesn't exist," I almost begged her to understand.

Emmett gasped, widening his eyes. "How can you say that? Magic exists!" _She's still a kid, brother, let her believe it for a few more years_, he said silently.

I glared at him, slumping on her bed. Before I could try to explain again, she beat me to it.

"Maybe witches and wizards keep their nature hidden too. And on Halloween night every mythical creature is allowed out and to act naturally. That's what Jake told me."

_Because he's a dickhead_, I thought to myself. "Do you see us going out tonight?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but…" She glanced at Emmett and grinned. My eyes met his and I knew he was up to something. "Uncle Em told me the same."

"Who do you believe? Uncle Em and Jake, or me?" I asked upset. Why were they making her believe lies?

Nessie bit her lip in the same way Bella used to, when she was uncertain. "I want to believe you," she whispered, coming to me and crawling on my lap.

"But?" I urged her, knowing that was coming.

"But, it sounds more real what they told me. If vampires and werewolves exist, why wouldn't wizards exist?"

I didn't have a sound explanation for that. I just couldn't come up with anything – for the first time in my existence, I had no idea how to explain something.

While I was gazing in her eyes, wondering what was the best way to approach this, Bella and Jacob came inside.

_Why is she still awake, Edward?_

As much as I loved to hear Bella's thoughts, I didn't like to hear her when she was upset.

"Why did you tell her that witches exist, Black?" I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Oh, did you see any?" He asked with a huge grin, stealing my daughter from my arms.

"No, and Daddy says they don't exist," she answered, pouting. "Did you lie?"

Jacob gasped, clutching his heart. So theatrical. I rolled my eyes. "I'd never lie to you, sweetheart!" he promised.

"Then Daddy is lying," she concluded, looking at me over Jacob's shoulder.

Bella stepped between us before I could twist his neck. "Renesmee, magic people don't come out tonight, they let humans dress and act like them. They come out when you least expect it," she explained softly.

Why was everyone lying to her?

Nessie looked at me, searching my eyes and I shrugged making all of them laugh.

"And don't listen to Daddy, he doesn't know about this. He never liked these stories," Bella added before leaning to kiss her head. "Make sure she falls asleep," she whispered to Jacob before steering me out of the room.

"Can I know why we're lying?" I whispered once we were in our room.

"Edward, she's five! Didn't you believe all those things and more when you were five?" Bella asked exasperated.

"I don't remember that. Did you?" I challenged her.

"Of course, I did! I was sure our neighbor from three houses down the street was a wizard!" she told me seriously. "Allow her to be a child while she can be. Her childhood will disappear faster than any other kids' childhood. Let her enjoy it and believe this," Bella pleaded me.

I thought about it and realized she was right. In a year, Nessie would look like a seven or eight year old, depending on her growth spurt.

"What else did you believe?" I asked Bella, wrapping my arms around her.

She cocked her head to the side, looking in my eyes, smiling softly. "That my Biology partner was a vampire."

"No!" I gasped in mock-shock making her giggle.

"That's not all! My best friend made me believe he was a werewolf," she added seriously.

I grinned, leaning to kiss her. "Such a vivid imagination."

"And then, I was told that my daughter is half human-half vampire," Bella continued seriously before bursting in laughter.

"You must have your hands full with such friends," I whispered, hugging her tightly.

"You have no idea. Now, tell me what was so hard to make her fall asleep?"

"She was waiting for the witch," I answered seriously. "Then Emmett brought her the pie you made and insisted Jake was right."

"Wait, she ate pie at this hour? I put some chocolate on it…she won't sleep," Bella said worried.

"I don't think she ate," I answered just as Jacob's voice came from the room down the hall. "She ate three pieces and now she's jumping on the bed!"

I caught Bella's eye and we burst in laughter. It was times like this that I loved we had him around. He could spend the night calming her down because it was usually his fault she ended up on sugar high, while we spent the night alone.

"Can you lend me a hand?" Jacob shouted.

"Have Emmett help you," I shouted back, not like we had to shout, but I wanted to make sure Emmett would never again feed her chocolate after midnight.

_That's mean. And I'm doing it because I love her_, Emmett grumbled, going to his niece's room.

With a smile, I led Bella to the bed and as we kissed, I realized I had actually lied to Nessie. "Magic does exist," I whispered against her lips.


	11. Day 10 Kitties 1

**Our dear sweet Kitties 1 lives over the pond from us, so she has asked that this one be posted right now so that she can see it on the right day! And the lovely ladies that we are we accommodated her! Do enjoy this one a few hours early here in the USA or right on time for our mates across in England!**

* * *

><p><strong>31 Days of Halloween<strong>

**Title VISIONS IN BLUE**

**Rated M**

**Pairing EDWARD AND BELLA**

**Word count 11,001**

**Picture prompt # 10**

**Author Kitties1**

**Summary EDWARD MASEN IS LONELY AND LOST. AFTER RETURNING HOME TO WORK IN LONDON, WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED THAT ONE EARLY MORNING TELEPHONE CALL WOULD HAVE CHANGED HIS LIFE FOR ALL ETERNITY…**

**Disclaimer I DON'T OWN TWILIGHT, SM DOES, I DO HOWEVER OWN A CARD BOARD CUT OUT OF MY PRECIOUS ROB AND SEVERAL SOILED PANTY LINERS AFTER WRITING THIS!**

**THANKS TO FERALNESS IS-ME, EMMA DEWINTERS, MANDY SPOONYBARGER AND MICH ORSON BRAWL FOR FIDDLING.**

**VISIONS IN BLUE**

"Hello?" I say, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, as I stretch and roll onto my back.

My iPhone is clasped in my sweaty hand, and I start to blink rapidly in the weak early morning light, trying to focus on the dancing digital figures from my clock, before me.

"Yes, this is Edward Masen. Who is this?" I ask, sharply, before I yawn loudly, and I roughly rub my palm across my cotton covered, early morning hard-on.

A sharp, staccato voice informs me exactly who is calling, in no-uncertain terms.

Shit.

I sit bolt upright in bed, at the response, quickly removing my fingers from my suddenly leaking cock.

"Um, yes. Good morning, _Miss_ Swan. Sorry. Yes. Yes. Yes. Um. Of course. Yes. Um. No, I wasn't going to atte…" I start, before she interrupts me.

Fucking hell!

She really is the most infuriating, bloody, stroppy, bossy woman!

"Er, right. If you insist, I guess… okay," I carry on, before she interrupts me again, my calm tone belying the inner fury that is building.

"Yes. Okay then," I say, sighing deeply, when I can eventually speak.

"Well, um, yes, I suppose I would be happy to accompany you to the party. Right. Okay. 7.00 pm. Er. No. No. I hadn't ticked the box to attend. Sorry. No. Oh, right. Okay. Yes, I know Lauderdale House." I say, "Um, what…?" I begin, before she speaks over me once more.

Fine.

I sit, attentively and silently, as there is really no point in even trying to speak when she is in full flow.

Listening to the barked out instructions, I nod to no one in particular and make the occasional affirmative grunt.

Participation in this particular conversation is not required. In fact, it is rarely a requirement to comment in any conversation with the illustrious and orally eloquent Miss Isabella Swan.

My cock twitches at the mere thought of "oral" and "Miss Swan" in the same sentence, but I ignore it.

I'm not attracted to her in any way, shape or form.

She is not my type.

My cock twitches again.

She is completely out of my league.

"Would you like me to collect you from your home, Miss Swan, or shall I meet you there?" I eventually ask; ever the Gentleman, even though I have no idea _where_ she lives.

Her final orders are barked out to me, in little more than a hissed whisper now, but in an icy cold tone; I am to meet her at the entrance of the house, at 7.00 pm, precisely. Then, with no further ado, not even a goodbye, the line disconnects with a click.

Right.

Bitch.

I have my instructions, and it is a given that I will follow them - to the letter - and without question.

She is, after all, my boss, and I'm new to the UK branch of the company.

From what I've seen, the lovely Miss Isabella Marie Swan is very obviously used to always getting her own way.

My boss's boss requires me to accompany her to the company Halloween party tomorrow evening.

Sigh.

I hate fucking parties.

Fancy dress is mandatory and she has told me that I have to attend the aforementioned fucking party, dressed as a vampire.

Terrific.

Personally, I would prefer to go dressed as Spiderman. I've always had a thing about those red tights and the rubbery mask.

Couldn't she have asked me before?

Talk about leaving things to the very last minute.

It's Friday 30 October.

Tomorrow is Halloween and I have to work all day today, on some bloody offshore, and very complex, personal, accounts,which, no doubt, I will finish horribly late - again.

I have two meetings pencilled in for today - at least two others will be squeezed in - and, as usual, and I have absolutely no idea how to follow her instructions.

Fuck it!

When in the name of fuck do I have time to find a _fucking_ vampire costume?

What do sodding vampires wear anyway?

Huh.

And whilst I'm asking stupid, lame questions, why the hell has she decreed that I have to be her date to this crappy 'do' anyway?

Why on earth would a firm host a Halloween party?

Christmas parties I can understand, at a push, I can never justify the expense personally, but Halloween?

What a waste of a company's finite resources.

Shit.

On a positive note, I guess, for the first time since I returned to London, I have plans for a Saturday evening that don't include a porn movie and a pot of Vaseline.

I had bought a ticket for, what promises to be, a cracking rugby match at Twickenham tomorrow - England against the Barbarians - and then a piss-up in the pub with Tyler afterwards.

Well I guess that's cancelled now.

Fuck it all.

I don't _want _to do this. I don't want to socialise with the people that I work with.

My job is important to me, but I like to do what is expected of me, go for a pint and then go home – alone.

I have absolutely no intention of becoming close friends with any of these people, I have nothing in common with any of them. Now I'm being forced out of my comfort zone and to stand, in a very public arena, no less, on a date - with my boss.

Shit.

Okay, so Miss Swan is good looking and clever.

She has a sharp business brain and is very elegant, composed and sophisticated, and she dresses professionally, but from what I have seen so far, she is a total bitch. She's never actually talked TO me; she only ever talks AT me, and at everyone else too, for that matter.

Once, or twice, I've caught her looking at me with those oddly alluring aqua marine eyes of hers, fringed with long, thick, jet-black lashes. My heart skipped a beat, while a shiver ran along my spine.

And not always a shiver of arousal either.

Her two business partners, Rosalie McCarty, and Alice Cullen-Whitlock, are no better.

Sitting in a meeting with the three of them is always an unpleasant and deeply uncomfortable experience; something I dread to be honest. The entire atmosphere, and temperature, of a meeting room drops when any of them attend.

They never look at you, any of them; they seem to look right though you. It is as if you are invisible. They emit an air of total disinterest in everyone - and everything - around them.

They look as if they have stepped off of a Parisian runway; they are all beautiful, of course, but they are also as cold and impersonal as perfectly carved alabaster - something that they all resemble.

My immediate boss is Jasper Whitlock, Rosalie's brother and Alice's husband.

He is a very attentive boss, almost too attentive to be honest, and he checks over every detail of my work thoroughly.

Daily.

He schedules a brief meeting with me every afternoon.

Sigh.

I'm not used to being overseen like this.

When I worked for their company in New York, I was in charge of my own accounts; with only the head of my department to answer to.

For some inordinate reason, Mr Whitlock has repeatedly questioned me - in the most minute detail - regarding both my working and private life; something that I am not comfortable in discussing, but he refuses to desist in his probing discussions.

He seems terribly interested in the fact that I am both an orphan and single.

Sigh.

Ms Swan asked me, during our latest last face to face meeting, a week ago to be in charge of their personal accounts.

The three partners seem to spend an inordinate amount of money on clothing. From what I have seen, they never appear to wear the same item twice. It is something that I have noticed, even as someone who is totally disinterested in fashion. They are perfectly turned out and immaculately groomed at all times.

But I guess that they have to be - in their line of work.

I have been both shocked - and horrified - by the inordinate amount of money that they spend on shoes alone.

Sigh.

I swing my legs over the side of my bed and drag my fingers through my wild hair in a feeble attempt to control it.

After making a pot of coffee, I have a quick shower, shave and brush my teeth, before I dress in a white shirt, black suit and a blue striped tie.

Checking my appearance, I grimace as I light a cigarette.

Smoking and the odd drink are my only vices these days, well, along with the porn and a very calloused right hand. I quickly rub a little cologne onto my face to disguise the lingering, nicotine smell.

One more quick look and I sigh again.

My hair is an odd coppery bronze colour. It's unique, I've been told, but it's totally impossible right now - it needs cutting.

Shit.

I look a mess.

Women seem to find me reasonably attractive, but I never manage to maintain a relationship of any description, sadly enough.

I am stiff and starchy and - as my last girlfriend said so eloquently - anally retentive. I would disagree with that judgement, - of course - I just like things to be done in the right way, that's all.

What's so wrong with that?

Lacing up my black, highly polished shoes, I try to wrap my head around the fact that I will be seen, by the entire company, escorting 'the boss' to the firm's party.

Shit.

How will this be perceived?

I know exactly how it will look.

It will look as if I am shagging my boss to further my career.

I've been working as an accountant in McCarty, Swan and Cullen-Whitlock 's London branch, for less than a month and have never had a face to face conversation with Miss Swan that hasn't ended with her either looking totally pissed off with me, or smirking when I cock up and say or do the wrong thing in front of her.

She grinned like a Cheshire cat on Friday evening when, after a long, boringly, protracted meeting - just the two of us - I had spilt coffee all over the crotch of my charcoal grey – Gucci - suit.

Moving with seemingly inhuman speed across the office, she had begun to dab me down with a white linen napkin, when, much to my mortification and embarrassment, my traitorous body had responded to her ministrations and I had an erection.

I wanted to die.

She, on the other hand had licked her lips and smiled at me, flashing her dazzlingly white teeth, before handing the material to me. Then she turned and walked out of the door without another word or a backward glance.

Shit.

She really isn't an easy boss, and the thought of spending an entire evening in her company fills me with dread.

Great.

Why would she need me to take her?

Surely, there must be a long line of men queuing up to be her guest?

Strangely enough though, I have never seen her talking to anyone in a friendly way, or even go out to lunch with friends. From what I have gleaned - via office gossip - she is single and has no social life to speak of.

It is very strange.

Even the various office Lotharios, of whom there are many, aren't interested in her. Instead they spend their time chasing and groping the young office girls I fear.

I quickly send a text message to my best friend, Demitri, asking him to ask his girlfriend, Tanya, for some advice as to what I should wear, before I walk to the bus stop.

Girls always know about this type of shit.

The journey from my small, top floor flat, in Spitalfields, East London, to Oxford Circus, takes ages.

London seems to be totally gridlocked this morning and I sit, tapping away on my phone, working on my projections for this morning's meeting, yet again with Jasper.

My phone pings, and I see that it is a message from Tanya.

Her suggestion is completely risible.

"_**Dress like fucking Lord Byron. Shit. It isn't bloody rocket science, Edward! Buy some cheap plastic fangs from a toyshop, and email Angel's in Shaftesbury Avenue for the outfit. They have everything you would need in there. Tana."**_

What the hell does that mean?

Lord Byron?

Wasn't he some limp wristed poet from hundreds of years ago?

Terrific.

Well that is a fucking great help, I still have no idea what to wear.

I have no idea what Lord Byron would have dressed like.

Sigh.

I type his name into Google.

Oh fucking hell!

Kill me now!

Great.

He was a fucking fop.

Breeches and a full, white shirt with overly long sleeves and even more exaggerated cuffs.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

He was more camp than a row of pink tents, and I will have to wander around, in front of the entire firm - in ruffles.

Sigh.

"_**Why can't I just go dressed as Count Dracula? Can't I just use a black bin liner as a cape and wear jeans and a t-shirt?"**_ I respond to her.

She answers instantly, _**"Duh! Edward! Every other fucker at the party will be dressed like that Dracula! Look different!"**_

Right.

Too obvious I guess.

After typing - Fancy Dress - into the same search engine, I find 'Angels' as she suggested, in Shaftesbury Avenue.

I email them, with a detailed description of what I'm looking for and - my sizes - then concentrate on my work on the small screen of my iPhone.

The pavements of Oxford Street are thronging with workers and it is horribly crowded already.

The building, where I work, is a large, sprawling space off of Regent's Street. I have a small office of my own - in a quiet, distant corner - on the fourth floor, with stunning views over the West End.

After grabbing a coffee, I plonk down at the desk, put my glasses on, empty the paperwork that I had been working on the previous evening, from my briefcase, and open up a spread-sheet. I continue crunching numbers for the first of this morning's two meetings - with Mrs Cullen-Hale.

This will be the first time that I have had a one-on-one meeting with her on my own.

Our company mainly deals with the accounts of various fields of the fashion world, and the entrance hall shows photographs of the three partners - looking stunningly beautiful - taken by Mario Testino.

Miss Swan is the only partner who I have spent any time with on my own, but as the photographs in the foyer show to all and sundry, all three are stunningly beautiful in their own right; if very different.

Out of my league.

If I was interested, you understand.

Which I'm not.

The single life suits me and my obsessive ways.

And if I continue to tell myself this, I might just end up believing it…

I haven't had a girlfriend in ages, or to be honest, even a simple, uncomplicated fuck.

Having returned from working in New York for two years, five weeks ago, I feel that my life is stuck in limbo, at the moment.

I am no longer the cool, young, free and single guy. I am rapidly becoming the bloke that everyone tries to set up on blind dates. I'm not even invited to dinner parties anymore; other than to make up numbers when there is a spare female.

Sigh.

How did it come to this?

When I went abroad with Jane, my then girlfriend, I had such huge plans for our future.

We would both work our arses off and move rapidly up the company ladder, save as much as possible and finally return to the UK, marry and start a family.

Sadly, I never imparted any of these plans to her, and now, two years later, Jane is pregnant and living with my ex-boss, Mike Newton, and I have returned to a very different feeling London, single, and living in a box-size rented flat; I'm floundering.

If I'm totally honest, I'm lonely.

Desperately lonely.

I have no family to speak of - an aunt and a couple of cousins - so my sparse group of friends are very important to me. However, sadly, even they have started to disappear; wandering off to settle down, pair off and procreate.

This has left me feeling isolated and bitter.

There has to be more to life than work and laundry.

Surely?

A message pings in my inbox, and I see that Angels, indeed, have exactly what I'm looking for.

Well done Tanya.

She will be fucking impossible now.

Typing my credit card details into their on-line order form, I arrange for the outfit to be delivered to my office this afternoon.

Hiring this costume is surprisingly expensive, and I twitch as I finish the order. I only want it for one evening - I don't want to buy the fucking thing for posterity.

Shit.

The accountant in me makes me err on the side of being mean at times, but I smile to myself, when I realise that the cost of this acquisition can be 'written off' as a work expense and is thus tax deductible.

The morning's meeting flies by in a blur of numbers - my forte - and Mrs Cullen-Whitlock is nicer when it is just the two of us, than when the three of them are en-masse.

She really is very lovely to look at, and far less intimidating than her partners. At one point, she reaches across the table to point to a column of figures and our fingers touch - briefly. Her hand is freezing cold, and shocked by her icy touch, I pull my arm back - as if electrocuted. I find myself blushing slightly under her intense, aqua marine stare, as she laughs gently at my response.

Fuck.

She must be related to Ms Swan, their eyes are exactly the same, unusual shade.

If it were appropriate to buy one's boss a Christmas gift in this company, a pair of woollen gloves might just be in order!

My next meeting with Jasper passes quickly and smoothly and he seems more than a little bit interested in whether I am attending the party.

Sigh.

Two more short meetings, regarding both new and old accounts, both with Jasper Whitlock, are squeezed in and before I know it; it's lunchtime.

Pulling on my heavy, black, wool coat and a cashmere scarf, to ward off the chill in the air, I head towards to Hamley's toyshop to try to find some fucking fangs to complete my outfit.

After fighting my way through the gaggle of tourists and noisy, dribbling, over-excited children, I stand, breathless, in front of the vast display of Halloween tat.

I can't find what I'm looking for, so I stride to the counter and ask for help.

The assistant looks at me oddly when I ask if they have teeth suitable for a vampire, and I blanch slightly when she hands me a pair of hinged, double layer, small, pointy and very sharp plastic teeth.

Yuk.

I pay for them, and quickly grab a sandwich and a bottle of water, before I head back to my cupboard sized office and continue working.

Getting lost in my work, as usual, a knock on my door drags me out of my numbered stupor.

Chelsea, the receptionist, hands me a thick, white envelope - with my name written on it in an elegant script, as well as a large cream box, that is quite heavy.

"Thank you, Chelsea," I say, dismissively.

She is glamorous, in a slightly tarty - and very obvious - type of way, and always smells of a sickly, cloying, and very over used, perfume.

Ignoring her, I go to open the envelope.

"Are you going to the fancy dress party tomorrow night, Mr Masen?" she asks, sweetly, hovering in the doorway.

Turning to look at her, I frown a little bit, "What?" I ask, confused.

"I asked if you were going to the party tomorrow evening, Mr Masen, and if so, what are you wearing and are you taking a date with you?" she quizzes.

What the fuck!

Frowning again, I push my glasses back up my nose.

"I am going to the party, Chelsea," I answer, ignoring the rest of her question.

"Well?" she demands. "Do you have a date?"

I look at her.

Shit.

She is flushed and sweating, and her pupils are dilated.

"I will be attending alone, Chelsea," I lie, stupidly, "I don't believe in mixing my private and working lives," I finish, waving my hand towards the door.

Why I lied, I don't know.

It is foolish; she will be there and will see me with Miss Swan, so I have just made myself look like a complete arse.

I drop back down in my seat, and open the envelope.

…

"_**Edward**_

_**I trust that you have obtained suitable clothing for tomorrow evening. I will be most disappointed if you do not dress as I have requested you to. **_

_**I look forward to seeing you at 7.00 pm, promptly, at the main entrance.**_

_**Please don't disappointment me.**_

_**Isabella"**_

...

"Isabella?" I say, out loud. Edward?"

Since when did I call her that?

Since when did she call me Edward?

Hell.

I don't even usually call her 'Miss Swan'. She frightens the crap out of me most of the time, to be honest, and I have _never _heard her call me anything. Not even 'Hoi, you'.

Feeling a bit nervous, I re-read her note, before I fold it and put it inside my coat pocket.

Isabella.

Shit.

She is attractive, that much is true, but there is something slightly unnerving - dangerous even - about the lovely Miss Swan, I just can't quite put my finger on it…

I really need to get a grip.

She is a small, pretty woman - how the hell can she be dangerous?

I look down at the large box.

Shit.

What have I done?

I have agreed to go to a party with my boss, dressed like a gay pantomime character, and I'm going to make a complete and utter fool of myself in front of dozens of work colleagues and their guests.

Sigh.

A feeling of dread trickles down my spine and pools in my stomach, and after stomping into the small kitchenette, I make myself a large mug of black coffee and return to my comfort blanket of numbers.

Before I know it, it's time to pack up for the day and return home to my cluttered, little flat.

I haven't even started unpacking properly yet. I started work a few days after I returned home to London. Only some of my clothes and a few accountancy books – a little light reading you understand.

Shit, I am so fucking predictable.

Opening a can of baked beans, I eat them cold, straight from the tin whilst watching a detective programme - that I had, pathetically, become hooked when living in New York - as I fiddle with my latest spread sheet.

At 11 pm, I have a quick shower and go to bed.

And there, in a nutshell, is the exciting life of Edward Anthony Masen.

Sigh.

Work. Sleep. Work. Sleep. Work. Sleep…

…..

Saturday morning dawns bright and clear.

A beautifully crisp late Autumn morning, and after wandering around the market for a couple of hours, carefully selecting my food for the upcoming week, I stroll home, dodging the hordes of ghoulish tours which gather on the corner of my road.

My flat in Fournier Street, is bright and sunny; thanks to the enormous windows. My small space would have been the garrett where a lace-loom have been situated in the past.

This particular part of London has an old, blood-soaked and fascinating history.

This is the realm of Jack the Ripper.

One of his victims died around the corner from where I sleep every night, in the same street, another died a horrible, bloody death, adjacent to the market where I had just shopped.

Today it is fashionable, trendy and bloody expensive.

Then it was dark, dirty, deprived and the haunt of the poorest of the poor and the lowest of the low, where people paid a penny to rent a tiny space of floor to sleep hanging over a line of rope to stop them falling on the floor; hence the good night wish, "sleep tight."

Abject poverty at its very worst.

I eat a quick lunch and do some laundry before I decide, at last, to open the scary box that has been sitting in the corner staring at me since last night.

Holy fuck.

The shirt looks like a dress, it is so enormous, and the trousers, if you can call them those, are black, very small and have a pull up panel that does up with buttons.

Shit.

They are NOT going to keep anything under control tonight!

The boots are black, with a brown cuff, and come to just below the knee.

Bloody hell.

I have to travel across London looking like a fucking idiot!

I am going to kill Tanya for this!

Opening a can of Guinness, I lay in the bath, reading a book for an hour, before I wash my hair and shave.

Cleaning and flossing my teeth, I towel dry my hair and attempt to tame it.

I fail.

Pulling on some tight boxer shorts, I then tug on a pair of knee-length rugby socks to stop the boots from chaffing.

The shirt makes me look like Wee Willy Winky, all I fucking well need is the candle and hat and I'm all set.

Sigh.

I yank on the tight breeches, which, thankfully, don't fit too snugly around the crotch, but are like a second skin across my arse.

All I can say is thank fuck for all my years of playing rugby which means that I actually have well defined and firm cheeks!

Tucking the shirt in and tug on the boots, I look in the mirror. I have to admit, it doesn't look too bad once it is on, after all. At the same time, I am fucking thankful that it is dark outside, or I might freak out the tourists!

Slinging the heavy, black, woven cloak around my shoulders and tie it, I call a cab.

The only problem with this outfit is, there are no frigging pockets for personal belongings, but there is a small pouch attached to the inside of the cloak. I shove my wallet, phone and keys in there along with a packet of cigarettes and a disposable lighter.

The doorbell rings and I make my way down the four flights of stairs, scaring the shit out of old Mrs Ord, who lives on the first floor, as I pass her.

"Oh!" she gasps out, waving her hand at me, mock smacking my arm, "EDWARD! You bad boy! You scared me!" She chuckles, and I grin at her over my left shoulder, "What on earth are you up to?" she asks.

"Fancy dress work party," I yell, looking back over my shoulder, as I run, two steps at a time, down to the ground floor.

She is the only neighbour who really knows that I exist. She is very sweet and occasionally brings me a casserole or shepherds' pie.

She worries about me being alone.

Sigh.

The taxi driver gives me more than a passing disparaging glance as I hop into the back of the slightly battered old Mercedes.

"Where to?" he asks.

"Um - Lauderdale House, Highgate Please," I say, as I adjust my cloak on the seat.

"You ain't one of them Vampire 'unters, are you mate?" he asks, a thick, cockney accent amongst a Turkish one, "You ain't going to the cemetery are ya?"

I shake my head and chuckle, "No, I'm going to a Halloween party in the house!" I say, settling back.

We chat amicably for the entire journey from East to North London, he is a nice guy and it turns out that I had even visited the village his family are from in Turkey several summers before. He then regales me with tales of Sean Manchester, the Highgate and Hampstead vampire hunter.

I chuckle as the story unfolds; the entire history of vampires is rubbish, of course.

As the car climbs the steep, darkness that is Highgate Hill, nerves suddenly hit my abdomen and I shiver.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

It is a simple work party.

I don't have to stay for the entire evening; I can show my face, have a couple of drinks and leave.

My subconscious begins prickling and I have a nagging doubt developing at the base of my brain that this isn't exactly how this evening will pan out, but I dismiss it as shyness.

Sigh.

I pay Mehmet, the driver, and clamber out of the cab, standing in front of the large, sprawling cream painted house, on the slippery York Stone pavement.

The temperature is dropping rapidly and I shiver in the weak light coming from the Georgian style lamps that cast a dim glow.

I should have worn a vest.

Shit.

With slightly shaking hands I jam the ugly, ludicrous, plastic teeth, into my mouth.

They are uncomfortable and as my nerves crank higher, I rummage inside my cloak; I need a cigarette to calm myself down.

Popping one between my plastic teeth, I bite right through it, snapping it in two, before I can flick my lighter.

"Fuck it!" I mutter, before I shove another cigarette in my mouth, and destroy it to.

A cold hand reaches out and gently touches my arm, making me jump and I shriek into the night like a bloody, hysterical, teenage, girl.

Turning around, I suddenly come face to face with Miss Swan.

Holy fuck!

I take a step backwards in shock.

"Why don't you take your teeth out, Edward, if you want to have a cigarette before we go inside?" she says, smiling, "It looks like you are having a tough time with them in," she giggles.

She looks breath-taking and I am stunned to silence, as my eyes rake her from head to toe.

"Edward? Edward, are you alright? Sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you," she says, reaching out to touch my cloak.

I pull back suddenly.

All the hairs on the back on my neck stand on end as if I'm in danger.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I'm behaving like a pussy!

"Edward?" she says again, looking at me as if I have gone mad, stepping back a little, "Are you okay?, she asks, "Um, is it okay for me to call you Edward?" she asks, frowning.

Shit.

"Sorry!" I gasp out, "Sorry, you gave me a fright, that's all!" I say, my voice a little higher than usual, "And yes of course you can call me Edward. I work for you. You are my boss, I guess you can call me anything you like," I say, smiling, nervously.

She looks me up and down and grins, "I'm not your boss tonight, Edward," she says, calmly.

"Tonight, I'm your date; can you treat me like that, please? Can you call me Bella, and at least try to enjoy yourself and pretend that you want this as much as I do?" she asks gently, reaching out towards me again.

"Bella?" I say, scowling, "You want me to call you Bella?" I ask, confusion clouding my brain.

"Yes!" she says, giggling, "That's what my friends and family call me, silly! You can't call me 'Miss Swan' when we are on a date, Edward, can you?" she says, smiling again.

I gasp loudly.

She has the most beautiful, dazzlingly radiant smile that I have ever seen and I stop dead in my tracks.

"Friends and family?" I say, quietly, sounding confused.

Her face falls, "Um, yes… my friends and family call me Bella," she says, "Outside of work, I do have friends and family you know, Edward, I just need to maintain a professional image in the office," she says, her voice wobbling a little bit.

"Way to go Edward!" I hiss internally, "Way to embarrass and humiliate the boss in one fell swoop," sigh.

"Sorry, Miss Sw… um, 'Bella', sorry," I say. "I don't 'date' anymore, so this is all strange to me!" I stammer, "I'm really nervous, so I tend to speak first and then think!" I explain.

She smiles at me again, and looks at me, "You look great by the way, Edward. No glasses tonight? I like it when you wear your glasses…" she says, her eyes roaming my face - as she clutches part of my cloak tightly, "very Lord Byron," she says, grinning.

"Yes, that was the intention. But the taxi driver seemed to think that I looked like the Vampire hunter who used to roam the cemetery in the 1980's!" I say, laughing.

Bella's face falls slightly and she seems to shiver.

"Are you alright?" I ask. "Are you cold? Do you want my cloak?" I say, looking at her properly for the first time.

Holy fuck.

She looks amazing.

She is so tiny and fragile in the moonlight - well tiny compared to my 6'2" frame, anyway.

Her hair is down for a change. It is usually plaited or piled on top of her head, showing off her long, swan-like neck.

Quite an appropriate analogy actually.

I want to touch her long, dark brown, wavy locks, that spill all the way down her back, far passed her waist, in silky, corkscrew curls.

My cock stirs inside the tight confinement of my boxer shorts and my fingers twitch.

"Not fucking now!" I hiss to myself. "Not when I am wearing bloody breeches!"

Oh no.

Her skin is so white that she almost glows in the darkness, and her lips are blood red.

She has dark eye make-up on that make her vibrant eyes look like the foam on the sea, in the inky darkness.

For the first time I consciously notice that she has the most wonderful body. She is wearing a beautiful, blue dress. It is skin tight, and dark blue, with a fluffy sort of skirt. I don't know much about women's clothing - but she looks fucking amazing.

I have never seen anything or anyone quite so exquisite.

My cock is now rock hard inside my tight boxer shorts and I bite the inside of my cheek, to the point of drawing blood, as I attempt to control myself.

Shit.

She looks wonderful.

Inhaling deeply, her pupils dilating as she looks at my crotch.

Shit.

A vision in blue.

"You look beautiful," I say in barely a whisper, staring at the top of her bodice; where her milky white breasts are pushed up enticingly high, before I can stop myself.

Her nipples harden before my gaze, and I lick my lips.

Oh hell.

"Come on, Edward," she says, gently, quirking an eyebrow, having caught me looking at her tits, "let's go inside before you catch your death of cold! And stop biting your cheek, you will make yourself bleed, and I don't think that that would be such a good idea. Not tonight, anyway," she sniggers, pulling me towards the entrance of the house by the edge of my cloak.

How the hell does she know that I am biting myself?

"Oh, do you have a phobia to blood like I do?" I ask, looking at her.

"Something like that…" she mumbles.

Right.

"You have a phobia to blood?" she says, giggling as I nod.

Okay…

I jerk to a stop as we reach the threshold of the building.

Having attended many exhibitions and musical recitals with Jane before we left to live in the States, I'm used to Lauderdale House being cold and stark in its daytime incarnation.

Music plays gently and it's a haunting song with a heartbeat like rhythm, throbbing in time with my pulse.

Tonight it would appear that the entire building has been completely transformed and I am, as is usual in Ms Swan's presence, stunned to silence.

Candles burn everywhere, producing a warm, golden glow, and displays of highly scented, red flowers, decorate every available surface.

A roaring fire blazes in the hearth, and the cavernous space looks warm and inviting.

Strangely though, it doesn't _feel _it.

My fight or flight instinct is still pulling and prickling at my subconscious, telling me that I am in danger.

What the fuck is wrong with me tonight? I have an erection at the mere sight of my boss in a pretty dress, and I feel scared at the same time; fighting my instincts to run?

I really need to get out more!

A liveried man takes my cloak, then, hearing a sharp intake of breath, I turn around and frown as I look at Miss Swan.

Her eyes have widened, and are jet black, as they rake over my form. Her chest rises and falls rapidly as she licks her lips slowly.

"What's wrong?" I ask her, alarmed, "Are you having an asthma attack?" I say as her breaths come in rasping gasps, shocked at the change in her demeanour.

Shaking her head slightly, she closes her eyes before opening them and stares intently at me; once more transformed to her previous, calm persona.

"I'm fine, Edward," she says, smiling, "I was just a little taken aback, that's all. You look wonderful in period dress. I knew you would… I knew I had chosen well… " she says quietly.

"What?" I ask, turning to look at her again, "What do you mean, chosen?" I ask more confused than ever.

"Oh. Right. Um. What I _meant _was, that you look so good in Georgian dress, and that it's a shame we don't still wear clothes like that today," she says, laughing once more.

I have no idea what the hell she is talking about. I have reached the grand old age of twenty-eight and still have no fucking idea how the female psyche works.

Sigh.

"Come on," she says, suddenly grabbing my large hand with her tiny, surprisingly firm, and icy cold one. She drags me forcibly into the large room which has been turned into fantasy land for this evening.

Heavy, blood red, velvet drapes hang at the enormous windows.

Another huge fire burns brightly, and the room smells beautiful, a mixture of fire and...

Something.

Small, circular tables fill one end of the room, covered in crisp white linen, white china, crystal glassware and sparkling silver cutlery.

The entire room has a medieval air and it is quite magical.

The far end of the room has been just as elaborately decorated, and laid out for dancing, with a sprung wooden floor and a DJ area.

Gentle classical music now plays and the room is already thronging with garishly garbed guests, one or two I recognise, but the vast majority I do not.

The fancy dress code decree has been reasonably, adhered to, and I clasp Bella's hand more tightly as she leads me across the room to a small group of people, huddled in a corner beside the ornately carved chimneybreast.

She turns to smile at me broadly as she walks at a brisk pace towards the group.

Our entrance hasn't gone unnoticed, and the hum of voices stops immediately, as my work colleagues recognise me - hand in hand with my boss.

Fuck it.

I sigh deeply.

I am going to have a lot of explaining to do come Monday morning.

Chelsea looks at me as if she wants to beat me to death with one of her murderously high stilettoes.

Great.

That will be comfortable come Monday morning.

As we approach, Rosalie McCarty and Alice Cullen-Whitlock, turn to look at us. They are both dressed similarly to Bella, only Rosalie's dress is very short and a different blue; Alice's is longer and even tighter, and again, another shade of blue.

Bloody hell.

Three visions in blue.

Shit.

They look at us, open mouthed, as we approach.

Leaning in to whisper towards Jasper Whitlock, they both look at us again, and Alice takes his hand, looking delighted.

"Good evening, Edward," she says, her voice high and excited as she looks at me, smiling now. She holds her other hand out to Bella, clasping her fingers firmly as we reach them.

"Good evening Mrs Cullen-Whitlock," I say quietly.

"Edward," Rosalie barks, making me start a little, "we are here to have fun and games together, so please, please call us by our given names; for tonight, at least," she says, smiling sweetly.

Standing behind her is a bulky and muscular, tall burly man, with black curly hair, bright smiling eyes, and dimples.

He holds his hand out to me, "Emmett McCarty, Edward, nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you," he says, grinning, before he looks at Bella, and then back at me.

He's heard a lot about me?

A member of his wife's staff?

Someone whom he has never met before?

They've been discussing one of their accountants outside of work?

Why?

What the fuck?

I take his large hand and jerk a little at the stone-cold temperature of his skin.

Bella frowns at Emmett before a bell rings alerting us all to the fact that dinner is to be served. We take our places at the same table, closest to the fire.

We eat a delicious four course meal, washed down with liberal amounts of alcohol.

The meal is a blur of delicious courses of soup, prawns, fish and rare, bloody meat, accompanied by vegetables of every type.

I don't see any of my table guests eating much, but then, the food is so delicious, I am far too engrossed in my own plate. I haven't been eating properly and I devour the meal ravenously.

The decadent meal, along with the alcohol and the heat from the fire, makes me feel mellow and slightly drowsy.

It seems that every time I take a mouthful of wine, my glass is refilled, though I never see it being done.

By the time pudding is served, I am more than a little bit pissed and begin to slur my words embarrassingly.

Just as I am about take the first taste of my delicious looking Eton Mess, a cool hand begins to stroke along my leg, slowly, and firmly from my knee towards my upper thigh.

I freeze mid-mouthful.

Fuck it.

My cock leaps to attention as the cold fingers creep ever higher.

I turn to the side and see Miss Swan looking to the other side of her, talking to Rosalie's husband, while her hand grips my thigh.

Shit.

Wriggling slightly in my seat, trying to dislodge her hand as subtly as possible, I continue eating, while attempting to act normal.

I'm drunk and I'm pretty sure that if I am, she must be too.

She is so much smaller than I am, and, if my glass has been permanently topped up, then so has hers.

Her tiny fingers reach my crotch and begin stroking lightly, making me shudder.

Leaping to my feet, I shove my chair backwards, and excuse myself, before dashing to the lavatory - holding both of my hands over my erection as I do so.

I pee like a racehorse in the urinal, before I lock myself in a cubicle and sit down on the toilet, catching my breath.

Sitting for a few minutes, I decide I need to leave, before this evening gets out of hand forcing me to resign from my job.

If I sneak away now, I can blame it on the fact that I am drunk and that I didn't want to make a fool of myself.

Yes.

That will work.

Standing again, I splash my flushed face and wash my hands, before I head towards the main entrance.

Just as I retrieve my cloak, a hand grasps my sleeve.

"Going somewhere, are we, Edward?" Bella asks, frowning.

I nod.

"I'm drunk, Miss Swan," I explain, staggering slightly, "I feel a little unwell. I need to go home," I say, pulling the slightly scratchy wool around my shoulders.

"Can I ask you to do something for me first, please, Edward?" Bella asks, quietly, sounding inexplicably sad.

I turn to look at her.

Her eyes are wide and beseeching, "Please, walk with me, just for a little while. I want to talk to you," she says, "No, I _need _to talk to you, Edward," she finishes quietly.

Opening my mouth to refuse her, she touches my hand for the first time, and the chill of her skin makes me shudder once more.

"Please, Edward," she finishes, staring intently into my eyes.

Nodding, the icy feeling of fear begins to trickle into my stomach once again.

Rather than walking back through the house, she instead leads me out of the main door, and around the side before we walk across a lawn, and down some steep stone steps.

The large, dark, park stretches out before us and we walk side by side, though not touching now.

As we walk briskly down the hilly paths, towards the small lakes below us, I notice that my breath clouds before my mouth and nasal passages.

Sparkling, crispy frost makes the entire area have a twilight like air; neither dark nor light. Shapes appear and disappear before me, making me jump, confusing me so that I don't know what is and isn't real.

"Aren't you cold, Bella?" I ask, my voice shaking slightly, suddenly aware that she is wearing nothing but her flimsy dress and high heels.

She chuckles. "No, Edward, I don't feel the cold," she says. "Are you?"

"Yes," I say lamely, "I am."

"Can I help to warm you up in anyway, Edward?" she asks quietly, "I want to help you …" she whispers.

Fuck it.

Why not?

I'm not forcing her; she wants to and so do I.

So why not?

I haven't had sex for so very long, and I want her.

"Yes," I whisper back to her.

Before I know what is happening, I am pressed against a tree; Bella yanks my head downwards so that she can reach my mouth, and begins kissing me passionately.

I groan and wrap my arms around her.

She is freezing cold but feels wonderfully soft and pliable in my arms, as I open my mouth to her probing tongue.

She tastes delicious.

Unlike anything I have ever tasted before and I moan against her as her hand snakes lower and begins stroking my rock hard cock through my breeches.

"Oh. Oh God…" I groan before I wrap her hair in my hands, dragging our faces closer.

She pulls back and stares at me intently, "Do you want me, Edward?" she asks.

"Yes!" I gasp out, trying to pull her back to me.

"Do you really want me? Forever?" she asks, uncertainly.

"Forever?" I question.

She nods.

"Well, right now, I will take tonight and see what tomorrow brings," I say, finally running my fingers through her curls.

"No. Tell me that you want me forever, Edward," she says, cupping my balls gently, the coldness of her touch makes me quiver and shake.

Right now, I will say anything just so that she will let me kiss her again, "If that's what you want, Bella," I say, "then yes, let's try for more than tonight," I whisper, pulling her close to me again.

She moves back a little bit, stroking my arm. "Follow me, Edward," she says, seriously. "I can't risk any members of staff seeing us like this," she says frowning. "Let's go through there," as she points before her.

Walking away from me so fast that I struggle to keep up with her, she pushes the park gate open.

Shit.

Before me is the imposing, roofed, entrance to the old Highgate Cemetery.

Hearing a sound behind me, I turn, but there's nothing there. I squint into the semi-darkness.

Fuck it, I wish I had brought my glasses with me.

As I look in front of me again, Bella has gone, and the wrought iron gates are wide open.

Shit.

I shiver as the bone-numbing cold begins to bite more deeply into my flesh.

"Bella?" I call, looking around. "Bella? Where are you?" I yell, louder now.

"In here, Edward!" she says, excitedly, "In here, please! I've always wanted to make love in a graveyard! I'm in here!" she says, loudly.

I peer around the gate and catch a glimpse of pale cloth as it disappears around a wide yew tree.

Shit.

She is a tiny scrap of a thing! She can't be running around in a graveyard in the dark on her own.

"Fuck it, Bella!" I hiss, as I hear something moving behind me again, and the gate slam shut.

I start to run after her, deeper into the crowded, over-grown cemetery, as the footsteps of whatever is following me, get louder and faster too.

"Bella!" I yell, terror washing over me. I scream loudly as a hand grabs my arm.

"Hell, man! What the fuck is wrong with you?" a booming voice asks, turning.

I see Emmett McCarty and Jasper Whitlock.

"What's wrong with me?" I yell. "What's fucking wrong with me?" I shout, "You two almost gave me a heart attack!" I bellow, as I yank my arm away and stomp ahead of me, "Well, what are you fucking waiting for?" I shout, "Bella is in here on her own. Fuck only knows what trouble she can get into in here!" I finish.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about Bells," Jasper laughs. "Be more worried about whatever she comes across first, they should be the ones that worry!" he says laughing louder.

"What?" I say, turning around, "What do you mean?"

They ignore me and start leading the way, chatting amongst themselves, quietly.

As we walk to the end of path, we come to a large stone entrance, "This is the Egyptian Avenue, Edward," Jasper explains, pushing the heavy door open; it leads up to a large, circular structure.

I stand with my mouth gaping open, looking around me. "This is the Circle of Lebanon, Edward, these are the Victorian catacombs. We like it here…" Emmett says.

I turn to look at them, and there, behind them, lying on top of a tomb – naked - is Bella.

My cock springs to life at the sight before me.

Fucking hell.

Her skin glows in the cold moonlight. Laying completely still, her hair spilling over the edges of the stone, she looks as if she has been carved from the finest Italian marble.

Small, firm, pert breasts, capped with deep pink, hard nipples call to me, and without a second thought, my feet begin to move, of their own volition, pulling me towards her.

She is so still that it doesn't even look as if she's breathing.

"Edward…" she sighs as her fingers begin to stroke and pull at her tits.

Oh, fuck…

She is touching herself in front of me, calling out my name. My cock starts dripping with pre-cum as arousal takes over and my brain disconnects as my cock takes over control of all my conscious thoughts.

"Oh God…" I whimper, as my hand drops to my crotch and I stroke my balls firmly.

"Come to me, Edward," she whispers, "Touch me, I need you to touch me, please…" she implores, as her fingers move lower.

Now standing next to her, I reach my hand out, my fingers twitching as I do so, and I jerk as I touch her ice-cold skin properly for first time.

"Bella…" I mumble out, as my warm hand strokes her smooth, cold face, "I want you…" I say, pathetically.

She gasps and smiles a dazzling smile at my words.

Grabbing my wrist tightly, to the point of pain, she growls. Then before I know what's happening, my cloak is ripped from around my shoulders, and I am on my back, on the frozen slab, and Bella is straddling my hips, grinding against me.

Her mouth crashes painfully onto mine, and she tugs and pulls at my clothing. She rips my shirt down the middle with one, quick, sharp movement, before her fingers begin unbuttoning my breeches.

"Fuck!" I gasp out as she nibbles and licks her way down my body, "Bella! We aren't alone! And I'm going to have to pay for that shirt!" I say, as my traitorous cock twitches against Bella's fingers.

"No one is watching us, Edward," she whispers.

I push myself up, on my elbows, and look around, checking.

She's right; there is no one in sight. Jasper and Emmett have left us alone.

She suddenly yanks my trousers down, leaving them around my mid-calves, then, grabbing my boxer shorts by the elastic, she tears them off of me.

"Fuck! Bella!" I yell out.

Ignoring me, she trails one slender digit along the long, thick, length of my cock, before she looks up at me, smiling, "Oh, Mr Masen, I really did chose well," she murmurs before languidly licking around the head, suckling and swallowing the pooled pre-cum.

I shudder and groan, falling backwards onto the white marble once again, as her mouth takes more and more of me into her mouth until she swallows the head down the back of her throat.

"Fuuuuucccckkkk…." I groan out, twisting my fingers into her hair, and holding her head close to me, as she sucks her cheeks in and hums, causing vibrations to run along my over excited cock.

Pulling away from me, she climbs astride my thighs once more, and begins kissing my mouth again, before she raises herself up above me, pressing her breasts against my face.

Sucking her hard nipple for the first time is so erotic that I almost cum without her touching me.

Her skin is as cold and silky, like the finest marble, as my hot, wet mouth moves against her.

"Oh, Edward," she whispers, sitting upright again, "make love to me." She slithers her way up my body, until she is sitting on my face.

Oh God.

Grabbing her hips with both of my hands, I lick, suck and nuzzle against her cool, wet pussy, and moan at her delicious taste.

"Oh Bella…" I mutter, making her quiver above me.

She presses more firmly against my face.

"Edward," she gasps out as my tongue pushes inside of her, "tell me that you want to stay with me forever!"

I nod, as I fuck her orally, before I suck her clit firmly between my lips. Building up a rhythm, I push two fingers inside of her, stroking repeatedly, until she cums; flooding my mouth with her cold, sweet, nectar, and she screams loudly into the silent night.

She moves down my body, lying on top of me, her skin feels colder than ever against my sweaty, gasping chest.

"Oh, Bella…" I murmur, wrapping my arms around her slight frame.

Rolling us, she hitches her hip around my waist, grabs my cock firmly in her left hand and guides me inside her icy, wet body.

"Shit…" I groan out as she clenches her muscles around me, making me gasp, "so tight…so cold…" I whimper, as she holds my hips firmly, encouraging me to move inside of her.

Mumbling, I push myself up onto my elbows on the hard stone, and begin thrusting in and out of her, frantically, desperately.

"Edward!" she whimpers, "Tell me again, tell me that you want me!" she says, stroking my hair, yanking my head slightly backwards, exposing my neck.

"Yes, yes, yes," I gasp out, in time with my thrusts, "I want you; yes I want to stay with you," I pant as my speed increases and my stomach muscles clench and tighten deliciously.

Yelling, I cum, pouring inside of her, as bright white lights explode before my eyes, my vision blurs.

It feels like hours later when I open my eyes.

The nig

ht seems less dark, either that or my eyes have become accustomed to the lack of light.

I am cold, almost numb with cold in fact, and Bella's tiny body is coiled tightly around me, where I lay; my cloak wrapped around me.

"Bella?" I whisper, "Bella, are you alright?"

She nods but makes no sound.

"We need to get up and go back, they will be wondering where we are," I say quietly, suddenly nervous, the coldness is biting into the very marrow of my bones.

She doesn't move.

"Bella?" I say again, and still she doesn't respond.

I shake her lightly, before I drag my fingers through her hair. She stirs in my arms.

I push myself up again, yawning loudly and shivering in the cold, night air.

"Do you want to leave me, Edward?" she asks quietly, "Do you?"

"Of course I don't want to leave you, Bella, but I need to get dressed and warm up before hypothermia kicks in! Come home with me, please?" I say.

"Are you inviting me into your home, Edward Masen?" she asks, surprise colouring her tone.

Smiling and nodding, I swing my legs to the edge of the stone slab and start to hop down.

"Don't leave me, please," she says quietly.

"I'm not leaving you, Bella. I want to take you home with me so that I can make love to you properly in a nice, warm, comfortable bed!" I chuckle.

Before I can pick up a stitch of clothing, Bella has me pressed onto the slab once more, and begins kissing me all over again.

"You're lonely, Edward, I know you are. You have no family. You have very few friends. I know everything about you," she says, firmly, "Choose to stay with me, and none of that will matter, ever again," she finishes, staring at me, her brilliantly bright eyes, flashing in the starlight.

"How do you know that I have no family?" I ask, confused, "I'm not lonely! I have friends!" I say, affronted at her remarks, but at the same time, a snake of fear wriggles its way along my spine.

"It's alright, Edward," she coos at me, "It's nothing to be ashamed of, I only have Alice, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper, I have no one else, Edward. I don't want anyone else. At least I thought that I didn't. But I want to have you. Tell me that I can have you with me always?" she says, stroking her fingers along my body.

Shit.

My treacherous cock springs to life once more and I groan as she wraps her hand around it lightly, stroking me languidly, licking her way along my neck, as she does so.

Sucking my skin into her mouth, I shudder, and not altogether in a good way. Alarm bells begin ringing at the back of my mind as her teeth graze my flesh.

"Bella… I need to get warm… I don't feel so well," I mumble, as she begins sliding down my body again, once more licking around the head of my agonised erection, immediately causing me to lose all coherent thought.

She suddenly looks up at me, "Do you want to stay with me always, Edward? Would you like to stay young and beautiful forever? To never feel cold? To never feel scared? To never feel lonely?" she asks, her voice lowering, making me shiver.

"What do you mean?" I say, "Everyone wants that, wouldn't they? Everyone would. But it isn't possible! It just isn't, is it?" I say, trying to sit up.

"What if I told you that it was? What then? Would you want it, Edward?" she says, staring at me.

I stare at her, "Are you serious? Of course I would want that! Who wouldn't, Bella? But it isn't, so there isn't any point in me dreaming of shit like that," I say, angrily now, pushing her off of me.

"I want to keep you, Edward. Say you want the same," she says, holding my arm tightly, "You have to say it! You have to tell me that you want to stay with me always!" she says, hysteria building in her voice, "I've waited for you for centuries! Please! Please say you need me too!" she says, dropping to her knees in front of me.

Fuck.

"I do want to spend time with you, Bella, but I don't know what the hell you mean! I don't know what you are talking about!" I say.

"Say, 'Yes'. Please, Edward," she whimpers.

Do I want this?

What is 'this'?

"What do you want from me, Bella, and what the hell do you mean? You've waited for centuries to find _ME_?" I say, sitting back down on the tomb, and running my fingers through my hair. I wrap the cloak around my body once more. "I don't know what you mean... I'm only twenty eight …" I say, my teeth beginning to chatter again.

A shadow crosses before us, catching my eye.

As I look up, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie and Alice are standing in a loose circle around us.

"Edward, what Bella means is that she has walked this earth, searching for her soul mate, for hundreds of years, and where does she find you? Working as an accountant in our New York branch. She saw you there, did you know that? That is why you were transferred back here, Edward. We arranged it. Please. Join us, Edward. Join us. Be Bella's mate and join us for eternity. Join our family," Emmett says, smiling.

I stare at him, open mouthed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I gasp out, going to stand.

Before I can blink, Rosalie pins me down by legs and the diminutive Alice secures my muscular arms with her stick like ones. I try hard to fight my way to freedom, but I'm held rigid.

"What the fuck are you?" I say, terror taking over.

"Vampires," Bella says, coming to stand beside my head.

I gasp.

"We are Vampires, Edward. But not like the Vampires that you've seen in the movies. We live off human blood, that much is true, but we feed rarely, so we limit the victims we take. We take the undesirables of the human race; there are many of those. Join me, Edward…" she says, staring into my eyes hypnotically, "and you will never be alone again…"

Staring back at her, she strokes my cheek and I see something that I have been looking for, for all of my life.

Love.

"Edward… please," she whispers.

Closing my eyes, I nod.

"Yes, Bella…" I answer her.

She climbs up onto the tomb once more and kisses my rock hard erection again, gently, once, twice, three times, before scraping her teeth along my skin. Opening her mouth wide, she sucks her cheeks in hard; painfully hard, making me yank my pelvis backwards.

Groaning loudly, I begin jerking my hips against her mouth.

She strokes my balls with her cold fingers, making me shudder. I feel my balls tighten, and just before I cum, she pulls her mouth away from me once more.

Trailing her fingers along my inner thighs, she bites into my soft flesh gently, making me whimper.

"Are you cold, Edward?" she says, smiling, sitting up between my spread knees, and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, a dark smear appears across her snow white skin.

"What's that on your face, Bella?" I say, concerned, "Shit! It that blood? Oh my God…" I say falling backwards; nausea washes over me, and I collapse onto the stone again.

Jasper and Emmett hold an arm each, and Alice and Rosalie restrain my legs, as Bella slides up my body, wrapping her naked, icy frame around me. Kissing me passionately, she lets me taste my own blood on her tongue.

And the fire begins surging through my veins…

…

**LAUDERDALE HOUSE IS SET IN WATERLOW PARK, HIGHGATE, NORTH LONDON. IT WAS THE HOME OF THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON AND WAS BUILT IN 1582. **

**THE CEMETERY IS SPLIT INTO TWO VERY DISTINCTIVE PARTS, EAST AND WEST.**

**IT HAS A BEAUTIFUL GROUP OF CATACOMBS, CALLED THE CIRCLE OF LEBANON, WHICH ARE TOPPED BY A HUGE CEDAR OF LEBANON, AND IS ACCESSIBLE VIA A VERY ELABORATE WALKWAY CALLED THE EGYPTIAN AVENUE. IT IS A GRADE I LISTED PARK NOW, IN OTHER WORDS, NOTHING CAN BE CHANGED, ONLY PRESERVED AND IS A SANCTUARY FOR WILDLIFE. LEGEND HAS IT THAT CONTAINS VAMPIRES TO THIS VERY DAY. **

**THE WESTERN, AND OLDEST SECTION, IS ONLY NOW ACCESSIBLE VIA ORGANISED WALKS AND TOURS TO HELP TO CONSERVE THE FRAGILE, ANCIENT TOMBS AND TO PROTECT AGAINST SOUVENIR HUNTERS AND VANDALS.**

**IT IS VERY LOVELY, BUT VERY SPOOKY!**

**A VAMPIRE HUNTER USED TO RIDE ACROSS HAMPSTEAD HEATH AND AROUND THE CEMETERY IN THE 1980'S, DRESSED IN BYRONESQUE STYLE ON A WHITE HORSE, AND HE ALLEGED THAT HE KILLED A VAMPIRE IN THE CEMETERY!**


	12. Day 11 tufano79

**31 Days of Halloween**

**Title: The Case of the Dead Ex by Tufano79  
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**Rated: M**

**Pairing: Bella and Edward**

**Word count: 4,222**

**Picture prompt #: 11**

**Summary: Bella and Edward are recently married. But Edward's dead fiancée doesn't like his new bride. She wreaks havoc one night as they are trying to enjoy their new home. Will Bella stay with her new husband or the dead ex-fiancée ruin her happily ever after? **

**Disclaimer: I publicly recognize that these characters are not mine and never will be (poo!). But I like to make them talk dirty, have sex and play with them like two dimensional Barbie dolls. **

_**The Case of the Dead Ex**_

"If I never move again, it'll be a miracle," I grumbled as I sat down next to my husband, Edward. "Why did we move?"

"To get out of that shithole apartment, love," he snickered. "Plus get closer to hospital for me, closer for work for you. The two and half hour commute sucks, baby."

"Oh, right," I sighed. I curled up next to him, putting my head on his muscled shoulder.

Edward was an ER doctor and he had the weekend off after working for an entire week without a break. Okay, technically, he had a break but it was a few hours. He was on-call for two days this week plus his regular shifts. He couldn't leave the hospital while he was on call.

We were in the process of packing up our belongings and moving into home closer to his hospital and my school. Suffice it to say, I was stuck moving the entire apartment by myself with the help of my older brothers, Emmett and Jasper, plus the movers themselves. Edward tried to get the time off but he's a second year resident and he's the low man on the totem pole, attendings get first dibs on days off. PLUS he just had two weeks off because of our honeymoon to Italy. Besides, he's hoping that if he kisses enough ass, he can become chief resident when he hits his fourth year of residency. With all of the ass he's kissed, Edward's well on his way.

Ah, my sexy, hot doc. Dr. Edward Cullen.

Anyhow, Edward and I, Bella Cullen, have been married for a few months. We had a quiet backyard wedding with close friends and family in mid August. Our families were surprised we got hitched. We'd only been dating for six months when Edward proposed and we got married on our one year anniversary. Edward's sister, Alice, who happens to be dating my brother, Jasper, knew we were destined to be together.

We met at a party, celebrating my recent graduation from University of Illinois with a master's in education. I was going to be a high school English teacher. I had a job lined up and this was my last hoorah before I started new teacher orientation in an upscale Chicago suburb. Alice invited her brother, Edward to the party, who was just getting back into the dating scene. When I asked why, she said that Edward would have to tell me.

We hit it off. Love at first sight. It hit both of us like a ton of bricks. On our first date, I asked Edward why he was still single. His bright green eyes dimmed and he frowned deeply. He explained that his fiancée was murdered in a mugging gone wrong. She was shot gangland style on the streets of Chicago, walking back to their shared condo. Everything she had was stolen: her watch, her purse, her $20,000 engagement ring. She was identified through dental records because there was nothing left of her face. That happened nearly four years ago and Edward finally felt like it was time for him to move on from Irina's death.

When he told me that, I was flummoxed. He was barely twenty-six and he'd lost his fiancée and in such a brutal way. However, he said that when he touched me and was with me that his heart was healed. I think that was the reasoning behind our whirlwind romance. Irina wanted a long engagement so Edward could get through medical school before they got married. Once my engagement ring was on my finger, Edward was in full-on planning mode with his sister. The fact that we pulled together a wedding so quickly was surprising. But Edward and Alice were consummate planners.

Thank goodness for that because I'm not.

"I can't believe how much you got done without me, Bella," Edward said as he pulled me over his lap. He was still wearing his scrubs and his glasses. His bronze hair was sticking up every which way, giving him sex hair. "I'm so glad that I'm off for the next three days so we can finally christen this place. Properly."

"Yeah, the blow job you got when we put in the offer for the house does not count," I giggled. "Will I be walking funny when I go to school on Monday?"

"Oh yeah, Mrs. Cullen," he cooed as he nibbled my neck. I moaned and melted against my husband's chest. "Fuck, Bella, you feel so good. We are not leaving our bedroom all fucking weekend. It's been too long since I've made love to my wife."

"Ungh, Edward," I moaned as I swiveled my hips. I tangled my hands into his hair and pressed my lips against his. Edward's hands moved down my sides until they rested on my ass, pulling me flush to his growing erection. His mouth moved down my neck and I arched my back into his touch. I opened my eyes and in the corner of the living room, I saw a shadow. I sat up abruptly, staring at the corner.

"Bella?" Edward asked as he looked up at me.

"I saw something," I whispered.

"It was probably the wind, love," he said as he cupped my face, forcing me to look at his handsome face. _God, he looks like a fucking model, not a doctor. _"I need you, baby."

I smirked and kissed his soft pouty lips with fervor. Soon our clothes were in a pile next to the couch. Edward was sliding into my heat. "So wet, Mrs. Cullen," he cooed as he thrust into my body. "It's too god damned long."

"Tell me about it. I've had to use BOB more times than I care to," I moaned.

"Shame that a piece of plastic is getting more action than me," he snickered. "But, do you like BOB or me?"

"Fuck, Edward. I love you," I said as I pulled him to my face. Never breaking his pace, he kissed my lips hungrily. His hands gently kneaded my breasts and toyed with my nipples. He sat down and I slid down his rock hard cock, riding him roughly. My hands were tangled in his bronze hair. Our lips were moving together. I felt a sharp pain on my back. "Shit, baby. I love it hard."

"I aim to please," he smirked as he snaked his hand between us. He rubbed my clit with his thumb, grazing our connection. "God, Bella. You are so tight. You were fucking made for me."

I felt another sharp feeling on my back. I let out a scream and clamped down on his cock. With a guttural roar, Edward spilled into my pussy. I collapsed against him, breathing heavily. His lips moved languidly along my neck. "I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

"I love you, Dr. Cullen" I breathed against his chiseled jaw. I slid off his lap and went to retrieve our clothes. Edward gasped quietly. "What?"

"What did you do to your back?" Edward asked as he sat me down on the couch. "You're all scratched up."

"Didn't you do that?" I asked.

"I never touched your back, love," he said. "Some of these may need stitches."

"Good thing I know a doctor," I laughed. Edward pursed his lips. We got dressed and went up to the bathroom on the second floor. Edward disinfected my cuts and stitched up the ones that were deep. He was curious if I fell or something. I said that I didn't. I honestly thought that he did them while we were making love on the couch. I put on one of his University of Chicago t-shirts and a pair of yoga pants. We ordered some Chinese as our kitchen was still a mess. Once our dinner was done, we spent the evening unpacking the kitchen so I could cook us a meal in our first home together.

We went to bed early, making love slowly in our bed and reconnecting after a week of being separated. As Edward thrust into me, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. An ethereal light filled the room and a ghostly chuckle filled my ears. _He may be fucking you, but he's mine, bitch._

I clamped my eyes shut at the voice in my head. Edward came and kissed me softly until he fell asleep. I couldn't sleep. At. All. Someone was fucking with me. I slipped out of the bed and padded to the office. I woke up our computer and looked up information about our home. It was older. Perhaps it was haunted.

No luck.

Crap.

As I surfed the internet, I decided to look up information about Edward's dead fiancée. He was always so cryptic about her. I typed in her name into the search bar.

_Irina Denali_.

A ton of articles came up about her death and her funeral. She was a daughter of a prominent politician. Her death had shaken her family to the core; so much that the Denali's left Chicago and moved to Alaska after Irina's funeral. As I was reading about Irina, I felt a cold chill shiver down my spine. _He's mine. Will always be mine. _

"No, he's not," I said out loud. "Leave me alone."

A loud bang resonated through the office. Several books fell out of their bookshelf. I jumped at the sound and went to pick them up. "He's not yours." I slammed the books back into the shelf and shut off the computer.

I went downstairs and made myself some hot milk. I took a tranquilizer and sipped my drink. With a heavy sigh, I went back upstairs. Crawling in between the sheets, I curled up next to my husband and fell into a fitful sleep.

xx TCOTDX xx

"_Bella, I cannot be with you anymore," Edward said coldly. _

"_Edward! No," I wailed. "Why? We were so happy. We love each other."_

"_You were only a temporary fix. I cannot live without my Irina. She was my life. Part of me died when she did," Edward said. "If I can't be with her on this earth, then I'll join her in heaven." _

_He took out a large, black gun. He held it reverently and placed it inside his mouth. _

"_Edward! NO! Don't do this," I screamed. A gunshot filled my ears and Edward slumped on the ground. His beautiful bronze hair was quickly turning red from the blood spilling from the hole in the back of his head. His green eyes were fixed on nothing, staring at nothing. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

"NOoooooooooooooo!" I screamed.

"Bella!" Edward soothed as he held me to his chest. "Wake up, love. Please!"

My eyes fluttered open and I was in Edward's arms. I looked up at him, touching his face. I needed to make sure that he was okay. That he was alive. "Edward?"

"What happened, Bella? You were thrashing about, whimpering my name," Edward said with a frown.

"Worst nightmare. Ever," I moaned, pushing my nose against his hard chest. I inhaled his scent. It was clean, fresh and something that was inherently Edward. "You told me that you didn't want to be with me anymore. You needed to be with Irina."

"Bella, Irina is dead," Edward frowned.

"I know. You killed yourself in my nightmare," I pouted.

"Bella, Irina is in my past. You are my future. You are my wife," Edward said fervently. "I love you. With all of my heart, my sweet girl."

"I love you, too, Edward," I murmured. He pulled me to his chest and held me. I finally calmed down. We got up and made some breakfast. Edward made the best Belgium waffles. It was a treat that he made them this morning. We ate quietly and decided to run to Home Depot to get some paint for the living room. The living room was a fugly burnt orange color. We had already decided on keeping it a dark color but went with a blood red. We got the paint and drove back to our house. We moved our furniture in the center of the room and began taping the walls.

Edward got on the ladder and began painting the walls. I sat on the floor and worked below him. Edward was cursing a blue streak. "Edward, are you okay up there?"

"I keep getting the ceiling," he grumbled.

"Want to switch?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. He crawled down the ladder and I took his spot. We worked, listening to music for the rest of the afternoon. "I'm going to get some water, sweet girl. You want some?"

"Yes, please," I said with a smile. He smacked my ass and went into the kitchen. Again, I felt a shiver go through my body. I looked around the room. There was nothing. I shrugged it off and continued painting. I felt a sharp tug of my long brown ponytail. I gripped the ladder, ready to smack Edward if he was the one tugging. No one was there.

_What the fuck, man? _

Another sharp tug came to my hair and lost my footing. I fell off the ladder and soundly on my back. I let out a pathetic whimper. "Bella?" Edward called. He saw the overturned ladder and raced over to me. "Baby? Are you okay?"

"No," I wailed. Edward's doctor mode switched on and he assessed me. I wiggled all of my extremities. Happy that my back wasn't broken, Edward had me sit up. He felt around my head. He hit a tender spot and I groaned.

"Bella, what happened?"

"I felt something tug on my hair and I fell," I pouted.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Edward asked. I answered the question. But my head was pounding and I was covered in red paint. Everywhere. On my clothes, in my hair, on my face, on our new couch. _Fuck. _"Bella, you have a mild concussion. You're done for today. I'll finish working on this wall and then I'll make some dinner. Go soak in the bathtub."

"What about the stitches?" I asked.

"You'll be fine," he said as he helped me up. With a frown, he pulled my shirt from my body, smearing red paint on my face. "Sorry, baby. This shirt is now garbage. I'll take your bra, too." He waggled his brows over his glasses.

I rolled my eyes. "Perv."

"I know," he smirked. "Go relax. I'll join you in a little bit."

"Okay," I said as I dragged my aching body up the stairs. I filled the bathtub with searing hot water. I hosed off in the shower first before I got in the tub. Easing into the water, I sighed as I lay back in the bubbles. _You're playing with fire, skank. Edward is mine. He'll always be mine._ I snapped my eyes open and sitting in the tub with me was a bloodied Irina, wearing a wedding gown and veil.

"If you don't leave him, you'll die," Irina snarled at me. "Do you know how to swim, Isabella?"

"Leave me alone," I whispered. "You're dead. You're not real."

"I assure you. I'm real," Irina sneered. She moved across the water and shoved my head under the bubbles. I thrashed about as she held me under. The water sloshed out of the tub and onto the floor. I scratched and pushed at Irina's hands. Instantly, the pressure that was keeping me under the water was released and I popped out of the sudsy water. I was breathing heavily. I looked around. I didn't see Irina, thankfully.

I scrambled out of the tub and dried my body and the floor. _This is some freaky shit. What the hell?_ I dressed in a pair of Edward's scrub pants and a hoodie. I padded downstairs, finding my hubby cooking dinner in the kitchen. I plopped down on the counter next to the stove.

"We need to call the Ghostbusters," I said seriously.

"Okay, I'll bite. Why?" he asked.

"I think your dead fiancée is haunting me," I said as I nibbled on my fingernail.

"Bella, you're imagining things," he said as he caressed my cheek with his finger. "Irina is not haunting you. If anybody, she'd haunt me. I was engaged to her."

"How long were you together?" I blurted out.

"I've told you, Bella. We started dating when we were freshman in college. I proposed on the eve of our college graduation. She was killed a year later when I was in class," Edward sighed. "She wanted ice cream and was mugged when she was walking back to our apartment."

"Okay, if she's NOT haunting me, why do I have these scratches on my back? Why did I fall of the fucking ladder? And WHY did I almost drown in the god damned bathtub?" I shrieked.

"Back up, sweet girl," he said. "You said that you thought that I scratched your back while we were making love yesterday."

"But you wouldn't have scratched so hard that I needed fucking stitches," I said, arching a brow.

"No. I keep my nails pretty damn short because of all the doctoring I do," he replied. "In regards to the ladder, you're pretty clumsy, Bella."

"I know I'm clumsy," I spat. "But, not THAT clumsy. I haven't had to visit you in the hospital to fix me up in two whole months. That's a record for me."

"It is. I think you're making up for it while I'm home," he said with a sardonic grin. "Regarding the bathtub, I got nothing."

"I'm losing my damn mind, Edward," I said as I hopped off the counter.

"You've had to move our entire lives out of our apartment and into this home by yourself. You're tired, overtired, almost. You have an active imagination to begin with. Couple it with exhaustion and you get delusions of my dead fiancée coming to get you. I'll speak with her ghost and beg her to leave you alone."

"Thanks, Cullen," I said flatly. "I appreciate your concern." I went to sit in the family room. Edward pulled me to his chest, kissing my neck. "I'm mad at you. You're pretending that my imagination is running away with me and telling me that this is all in my head. It isn't, Edward! These scratches and the goose egg on my head is proof of that!"

"Bella, I'm sorry," he said. "It is a little ridiculous, though. You know?"

"I suppose it is, but I'm still freaking out," I murmured, turning in his arms. "Hold me?"

"Always, love," he said as he pulled me to his chest. We swayed back and forth for an immeasurable amount of time as I tried, in vain, to calm down. "Okay, beautiful. I need to finish our dinner. Sit down. Have a glass of wine. Watch some television."

"Is that your prescription for me losing my mind?" I quipped.

"Yes. Do you want me to write it down on my prescription pad?" he snickered.

"Nah. Love you, stud."

"Love you, too, klutz," he laughed. I smacked his ass and went in the family room. I turned on the television and zoned out watching some random movie about vampires that sparkle. The leading man was fucking hot and looked a lot like my hubby. Edward sat down next to me, carrying a tray filled with dinner. We ate quietly, laughing at the sheer idiocy of the movie that I was watching. By the end of the movie, Edward was scowling at me because I was constantly comparing him to the actor on the screen.

I had to do dishes for that. I hate doing the fucking dishes. Damn it.

We went upstairs after I did the dishes and took out the garbage. I went to my jewelry box to grab my wedding set that I had taken off to paint. Inside the jewelry box there was another large diamond ring. "Edward?"

"Yeah?" he retorted from the bathroom as he was brushing his teeth.

"Did you go jewelry shopping again?" I snickered.

"Bella, I know how you hate when I spend money on you. I wanted to give you the biggest diamond engagement ring but you refused to wear it. So, I had to downsize your bling," he laughed.

"Have you upgraded it?" I asked as I held up the ring that was in my jewelry box.

He paled and walked toward me. Edward held out his hand. I placed the ring into his palm. He started shaking violently. "Where did you get this?" he asked quietly.

"It was in my jewelry box," I answered.

"This was Irina's ring," he said, almost inaudibly. "It was never found. We assumed it was stolen with her purse and everything else. Is there something that you're not telling me?"

"What? NO!" I shrieked. "Edward, I've never seen this ring before. If you are insinuating that…"

"No, I'm not. It's just…fuck," Edward said as he slumped to the floor. _He's finally seeing you for what you really are. A husband stealer. Edward and I were meant to be. HE'S MINE! _"Did you hear something?"

"In my head," I whimpered. "I really am losing my damn mind."

Edward hand was in a fist around the engagement ring that was in my jewelry box. His eyes grew sad. "It's not real, Bella. We're imagining it." He opened his hand and it was empty. "See?"

"You were holding a ring," I said, grasping his arm.

"No, I wasn't," he said. "I think you hit your head harder than I anticipated. You need to get some rest. Come on, love." He scooped me up in his arms and carried me to our bed. I allowed myself to be tucked in. Edward curled around me and held me to his chest. Almost restraining me. My eyes grew heavy and I fell asleep.

And it sure wasn't restful.

My nightmares came back full force. Edward successfully committed suicide with each nightmare, joining his dead fiancée. Each time, Edward held me as I sobbed against his chest. This was getting ridiculous. If I ever see Irina again, we're having a heart to heart. Edward is mine, wench. He MARRIED me. Not you.

_That's because I was killed before he could marry me, bitch. _

I clawed away from Edward and stared at him with wild eyes. "Leave me alone, Irina," I snarled.

"Bella, Irina's dead," Edward said.

"Then why is she staring at me from our bathroom?" I asked. In a wedding gown, a bloodied Irina was staring at me with a smirk. She sauntered over to Edward and kissed his neck. He shivered. "Don't touch him, bitch."

"Why not? I had him first," Irina smiled evilly. Her pale tongue traced along Edward's ear. He moaned and leaned into her touch. It was disgusting seeing this. "I'll get him last, sweetheart."

"No!"

Irina bit her lip and her hand reached INTO Edward's chest. He gasped as she removed his beating heart from his chest. He finally saw her before he fell to the floor. "I'll always have his heart, Isabella. You can have his rotting corpse." Irina bent down and kissed Edward's now cold lips before she left our bedroom, carrying his heart in her hand.

"Edward," I wailed as I knelt next to him. His eyes were glazed over and he was no longer breathing. "No, baby. I need you. I love you, Edward. Come back to me. PLEASE!"

xx TCOTDX xx

"Mrs. Cullen?"

"Yes?" I answered as I blinked awake.

"You were snoring," my student laughed. "and screaming. You were crying for your husband."

"I'm sorry, Tyler," I said as I looked around. I was in classroom. My hand was on my swollen belly, filled with my baby. Edward's baby. "I've had some really weird dreams lately."

"What was it about?" Tyler asked.

"Edward's dead fiancée came back from the dead and wouldn't stop at anything to get him back," I said as I frowned. "Excuse me, Tyler. I have a phone call to make. Thank you for waking me."

"Of course, Mrs. Cullen," Tyler smiled. "Hopefully once junior's born, you'll have some normal dreams."

"Yeah," I snickered. I searched for my cell phone and dialed Edward's cell.

"Dr. Cullen," he said brusquely.

"Edward?" I breathed.

"Yeah, baby. I'm here," he said quietly. "Another dream?"

"Yep. A particularly realistic and SCARY one," I said.

"Tell me about it, my beautiful wife."

"We had just moved into the house and your dead fiancée wouldn't stop harassing me. She eventually took your beating heart from your chest, leaving me with your corpse," I said, tears falling down my cheeks.

"It was just a dream, Bella. You were my only fiancée. My only wife. I'll be so happy once our baby is born. These dreams are making me nuts," he laughed. "It was just a dream. Only a dream. I'm alive. My heart is still in my chest and I have no dead fiancées pining for me."

"Good," I said. "I love you, Dr. Cullen."

"I love you, Mrs. Cullen. I'll see you when I get home."

I ended the call and leaned back in my chair.

_It was just a dream. Not real. A dream. Edward was mine and it was just a dream. _


	13. Day 12 Maniac Motherland

**The Season of the Witch**

**Author: **ManiacMotherland

**Summary: "**If Angela turns out to be a witch, she can join the party too". Don't expect any HEA in this story. M-rated for violence, language. Entry for TFA 31 Days of Halloween.

**A/N: **I listened to "Gold Dust Woman" by Stevie Nicks while writing this. Happy Halloween!

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight series and all of its characters, in its entirety. No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only.

###################################

Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. A wise man once said this, in 1697.

I should know, since I was alive back then, saw the play on opening night. And the fiend who has betrayed me will pay the ultimate price—along with his lady love—tonight, on Halloween.

After all, I am a witch. And this is the season of the witch, if I am not mistaken.

My former beau will never know what hit him. Neither will his wife. He is, like the large portion of his gender, clueless. And driven almost entirely by his lower organ and not his brain.

She is in love, which is the first mistake every woman makes; I am no exception. A pitiful excuse, but it will be her undoing, nevertheless. I have some sympathy for her, but not enough.

All their weakness for each other is on my side, since I plan to strike while they are in the throes of passion, their unbridled lust and physical perfection mocking me. I, who have been brought into this world screaming and bloody and inconsolable, only to live a brief springtime of days and then surrender my soul into the flames of a witch hunt, more times than I care to remember.

Luckily, times have changed. We have websites and movies and TV shows about The Sisterhood of Shadow now. But some things don't change. Including how badly he broke my heart, and how resolutely my damaged pride dictates that he must die.

She is, as they say, collateral damage. Still, since she has had what I never did—his abiding love—I will kill her too, just for spite.

How do I explain the damage he did? Perhaps I should start at the beginning. I met Edward Cullen when he was still Edward Masen. Back then, I went by the name Agnes. I have been called many names in my various incarnations. Abigail, Anna, Anastasia, Arachne, Arabella, Amelia, the list goes on. I have been English, French, Russian and Greek. I have always been brunette, but I have not always been as short as I am now. Or with such bad eyesight.

Within this lifetime, I am called Angela Weber. I was born to a minister and his wife and grew up in a small town called Forks in the Pacific Northwest of the North American continent.

Regardless of appellation, I have always had The Dark Gift.

Each time, I am born into the flesh without a knowledge of my destiny. Then upon reaching the age of 13, I am hit with a full awareness that I am a witch. Born to the black, to the mystic, and the unholy. Born to do bad things in the dark of the night, and to punish those who assume a pretense of righteousness while committing the bleakest of sins before the kingdom of heaven.

Verily, I am the Left Hand of God. I am one of His creatures, just not one that He would claim. Think of me, in modern parlance, as the "wet works of the divine". I clean up God's messes.

And I take my work very seriously, mind you. Seriously as death. As Edward Cullen is about to find that out. Here in Alaska. With Bella on a lovers' retreat. In a borrowed cabin, which will be their combined funeral pyre.

Because neither God nor myself likes any loose ends, if we can help it.

Still, vampires are devilishly tricky to kill. I cannot use poison or hexes or even a silver knife. A combination of dismemberment and fire is the only way to end their nonexistence.

Luckily, a well-placed bomb under the bed will do the trick rather nicely.

You pick up a few things when you have been around and around and around for over 300 years. Munitions training from the masters, the knowledge carried from one lifetime into the next, is just one of the many perks of immortality.

Edward and his bride might currently be immortal, but neither started off that way. Not like me. Back in 1917, when we first met, Edward was still very much human. Our mothers played bridge together, and our fathers visited the same gentleman's club in the city. We were practically made for each other, I used to think, back in the giddy haze of a girlish crush.

We would dance together at social functions, and he kissed me once under the mistletoe at a holiday party. I suspect that one of the guests had spiked the punch, because the kiss burned against the skin of my lips, and my head swam from the heady scent of his breath.

From that moment on, I wanted nothing more than for Edward to kiss me again. But he moved on to the endless and tedious drawing room conversations about that blasted War to End All Wars. Soon, I was forgotten, like the Velveteen Rabbit in the child's bedtime storybook.

I doubt Edward even remembers that kiss. He seems to have forgotten it almost as soon as it happened. I guess the transformation into his current state, plus the hidden alcohol in the libation on that particular snowy evening, have conspired to wipe his memory clean of the event. He now claims that he has never loved anyone other than Bella Swan.

But I know, deep down in the crevices of my shattered little heart, that Edward Masen once loved me. And for that sin, for loving me for a moment and then ceasing to do so for eternity, he will suffer and die. Like the woman he chose as his partner, instead of me.

One might wonder how I have kept my secret so long. It is simple, really, when you know witchcraft as well as I do. You construct a hex bag that effectively puts you under the radar of all supernatural beings. A few baby teeth (you can usually find these in little silver boxes in the nursery, if you are quiet enough when you break into the home), and some homegrown herbs (my current mother thinks that I have an abiding love of all things domestic, which couldn't be further from the truth), and the bones of a cat (and no, I don't kill pets—I just have a good nose for where they crawl off to die, and there is always roadkill to rely on instead of butchery).

Then you gather up your ingredients and head out into the woods under the light of a full moon, to strip naked and dance until dawn.

Some people are purists and only skip about to Celtic tunes. Me, I prefer shaking my bare ass to Lady Gaga on a boombox. To each their own. But you have to be careful not to get caught, because then the magic will not set and you will be exposed and vulnerable to psychic perception for the entire next month, until the full moon comes around again.

Lastly, you gather up the endowed items and place them in the freshly skinned hide of a white rabbit cut in the shape of a five-point star (okay, for this, I do actually have to kill a living creature). Then tie it up with a strand of your own hair, and some plastic zip-ties just to be sure. Pop in your pocket, and you are good to go.

Then little more is required than constantly thinking happy thoughts to keep up the pretense of being the girl next door. Honestly, I have played so many roles over the centuries, assumed so many parts in my long immortal life, that I doubt even a mind-reader would know that I was just throwing up a mental smoke screen to hide what I really am inside.

Problem is, that made me invisible. When all I really wanted was for Edward to notice me again.

I have tried the most potent of perfumes to attract Edward as a mate. Essence of saffron and ginseng and devil's weed, mashed together with ambergris and placed in between the breasts.

Ambergris isn't as easy to obtain as it was once was, when the whaling trade was still around.

But still, I might as well chopped up basil and licorice root then mixed them together with Vaseline, for all the force my love potion had on the mind of Edward Masen.

Which was zippo, nada, null. Not even a spare "Hello, Angela, you are being extra generous and gentle and meek and mild today. Thank you for your kind thoughts. You are such a peach."

Instead, he proclaimed to Bella Swan that her blood sings to him, as mine apparently does not. This was simply too much to endure. Upon hearing those words, relayed to me by the harpy who has come between Edward and I, my heart splintered again, like it had once before, back in 1917.

After all the lifetimes I have waited for him. The one with him in Chicago during which he was changed into one of the living dead in 1918, while I lived on in the flesh only to die in a car crash in 1949. The one where I tried desperately to make it back to him in America, but I was stuck in Communist China during the '50s and '60s and '70s. The one where I ran away from my family's dairy in Tillamook, Oregon and stalked his family of gypsy vampires as they wandered the globe, dying of strange African virus in 1987, before I was even 17.

Hello there, and aye-aye-aye-all-hail-to-Hecate,what is this now that disturbs my reverie? I hear them; they are approaching. Cooing and sighing to each other as they leave the vehicle, they move a matched set of suitcases into the front room of the cabin.

Edward insists on carrying Bella over the threshold. So trite, so clichéd. Like a younger version of myself would have said, "Gag me with a spoon."

"Shall I go and turn down the sheets, love?" I hear the deceiver whisper.

"Only if you don't want them ripped into pieces like last time," the interloper responds.

Edward reaches out one fist and slams the door shut. Vampires are powerful and swift. Which is why I must not give in to my fantasy of having the fickle man and his sobbing bride plead for their lives. As much as I can almost perfectly imagine the scene in my head.

"Why, Angela, why?" he would blubber. "How did you even find us, and why are you doing this? We have done nothing to you. Nothing! Bella… Bella… she's your friend! I thought you were so nice. Why, Angela, why?"

"December 11, 1917. Do you remember the date, you evil and foul villain. Tell me, do you? Chicago. The annual Christmas party at the Carmichaels. Just after eight o'clock. You kissed me under the mistletoe. I was only 16, as were you."

"I have never kissed anyone but my bride!" Edward would no doubt feign ignorance of our prior intimacy. "And you weren't even alive back then! Please, Angela, I'm begging you, let us go."

"So you are now calling me a liar as well? Burn in the flames here on earth and then in hell for the rest of eternity, you soul-less bastard!"

"For the love of God!" he would grovel as I finally struck the match.

"For the love of God," I would nod and toss out the fiery stick. "For the love of God, and all that's holy. Goodbye, Edward Cullen."

Too perfect, but it is not to be. The couple are now upstairs and rutting voraciously; I can see their shadows through the window. Who could have imagined that Bella Swan knew how to do the reverse cowgirl sex position? Time for me to close my eyes and let this nightmare of a love affair finally be over.

"By the powers of the darkness, by the strength of God's many forgotten children, by all that goes bumps in the night," I chant as I finger the red button of the ignition. "I condemn these two souls to the ebony shroud of purgatory, until their sins have been purged and all that is human is finally scraped away from them, like so much wasted dross."

You would think that it would be more satisfying, seeing Edward's nose land in front of me on the ground. The boy always carried the organ a little too high in the air, if you asked me.

Yes, yes. I am content. The bomb really did a great job of sending the two fuckers to kingdom come. Now it is just up to me to pick up the pieces and move on.


	14. Day 13 Trish Vilani

31 Days of Halloween

Title : Flash

Rated: M

Pairing: Jasper

Word count: 2449

Picture prompt # 13

Summary: Sometimes some people's treasures can turn into nightmares.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Twilight is not mine.

How often do we discard things in our lives? Leave them on the side of the road or give them away for other people to pick up and treasure? How many times do we stop and actually recount the story of the object that we are holding? Listen to its many treasure whispered into our souls through the rough plastic of the exterior casings leaving behind footprints for all to know we were once touched in one way by that special object.

That very reason is why I have spent countless hours in thrift stores and antique shops just like this. I refused to upgrade my equipment to the digital 15.1 mp that all the other photographers are using nowadays. The smell of dust and old leather that seems to radiate in these places reminds me that I am standing in the fragment of someone's existence. That I am here just to find a piece of their world to hopefully shed new colors into mine.

As my combat boots slowly walk across the wooden slates of the store, my fingers touch the cold glass of the display case that could be in any department store across the country except for the merchandise littered inside. I move slowly on from the glitters of gold and silver, the phones, the iPads, about to start thinking this trip was a waste when something amazing caught my eye. This was sheer perfection. The casing on the outside was black but scuffed. It looked liked it had been well loved. This camera still took color 35mm film- this I was certain- but that's as far as I was willing to bet. The flash was its own separate entity. I'm sure just by looking at it the camera must be the size of an iPad with double the width. I was in love and I had to have it.

"Excuse me, Miss? I would like to buy that camera, please." I spoke clearly to the purple haired woman that was working behind the counter. She was quirky beautiful in a way that I was sure wouldn't catch the average man's eye with her deep purple hair and short stature. Her eyes are the most extraordinary color of electric blue that stand out against her cream colored skin. I longed to get her against a black backdrop and take some old Victorian glamour pictures of her.

Her head tilts to the right and her eyebrow quirks into her hairline. She has the most amused expression on her face like someone just told her the funniest joke she'd ever heard. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

"I'm sorry ma'am. No. No I didn't"

"Well soldier, as I was saying, I'm sorry but I can't sell you that camera. It's not for sale."

Taken aback, I was sure she was haggling me like the owners of these establishments always do. I press harder, bringing my southern drawl out. "Ma'am, I collect fine treasures like that and I will be willing to haggle with you if you would just name your starting price."

"The camera is not for sale. No haggling needed. Trust me, you don't want it. What's your name, hon?"

"Jasper. Jasper Whitlock, Ma'am."

She stretched out her boney hand for me and as I enclose it with mine I caught a glimpse of the blackbirds tattooed along the inside of her thumb.

"Nice to meet you Jasper, my name is Alice. I have other older model cameras you can have but I am telling you that you don't want this one, it's special."

"Which is why I want it. I collect special things."

She stared directly into my eyes looking for something, penetrating me with her hypnotic blue stare. "Okay, but promise me this, when you get rid of it again, it comes back here."

"If I ever get rid of it again..."

"No…not if...WHEN."

I scuffed, "Okay when I get rid of it again, it will come back here."

I walked out of that little shop feeling like something more had passed in there than just a simple exchange of money for a product. I didn't quite understand the feeling or the unease that began to creep over my body.

_Three months later_

The smell of the subway cars reminds of the same reason that I am here in this vibrant and alive city. I see the beauty in this place, even if the people on the train that I'm on can't. The woman holding her baby, the young girl bobbing her head slightly off beat to the song playing so loud from her MP3 player I can hear it, the man in his three piece suit trying to be oblivious to us all while reading his Wall Street Journal. These little moments are the reason I always carry a camera with me. I never know when the urge to capture something might catch me.

Reaching into my bag, I pull out the camera I have been carrying around with me for months looking for the right moment to use. I tried to clean up its outside imagery just a little bit. A bit of polish and love, a new flash, the same white scuff marks are the signs of the previous owner as the thought of getting rid of anything about its history makes my stomach turn. I bring the window close to my eye and hold my finger over the button, clicking in rapid sustention catching the young girl trying to catch everyone's and no one's attention all at the same time.

As if the camera is moving to her beat, I watch the shutter come down as she moves slightly- first forward, then left of center, then right. I am as entranced with her movement as she is with the music. Right as she is about to dance back to her original position, a golden eye that seems to be surrounded by the Arctic steps into my shot. I marvel at the complex and beautiful things vanity lenses are doing for people's eyes these days as I pull my camera down to apologize to the person in front of me, realizing no one is in front me and at the moment the conductor calls my stop. I scramble to get off the train and to my apartment to develop the film to see what I caught for the day.

As I walk into my dark room with the film from the train my excitement is tangible. I haven't used this camera since I bought it from Alice all those months ago. I can't wait to see what she does on her first time out in the city with me.

I pour the developer into the bin and wait until it reaches the desired temperature of sixty-eight degrees. The next tub I place the chemical for the stop bath and the last one I place in the chemicals for the fixer, going through this setup is always the best kind of anticipation for me.

As I wait the six minutes for my pictures to be done, I let my mind replay the scene from the train to try and guess what the camera's eye caught. I find my foot tapping with a unrecognizable beat, I was granted a lot of things in this world but patience was not one of them. The egg timer finally goes off to signal that my pictures were dry and I could proof them. I yanked the first five off the line and brought them out of the dark room to my studio.

Sitting down at my desk, I flipped through the pictures noticing immediately the sharpness in color and clarity in picture. The green of headphones against her red hair stood out immediately and my eyes were drawn to that corner of the picture. I looked closely trying to figure out what exactly I was seeing. No it couldn't be... I was seeing things. Maybe, not for the first time mind you, I overexposed the film. That had to be the reason. But I had to be sure. I reached to grab my magnifying glass and placed it in the corner between the space of the younger teenager's headphones and stark red hair where the same pair of vanity laced eyes with thick black eyelashes can be seen, but her skin looked strange. It looked cracked and untaken care of.

I set the glass down and flipped the picture. The next one was just the same but the eyes were a little closer to where the lens would have been. I ran to the darkroom, grabbing all the pictures off the line and returned to my desk. I started looking through carefully and in each one the eyes were there. The face and thick lashes became much more precise and clear, until the last picture was where I got the shot of cracked skin and those golden vanity eyes with the Arctic blue circles.

My heart pounding, I decided I need to see if my purchase of this camera are in vain. I ran into my dark room , grab a roll of film, and, the camera and headed out my door racing downstairs to the sidewalk. I walked the 16 city blocks to 74th Street entrance into Central Park. Once inside I knew what I wanted to take pictures of immediately. It was a favorite place of mine. Strawberry Fields has caught my eye with its mosaic tile work and black on white imagery. I loaded the film into my camera and started clicking immediately capturing the visiting tourist who were paying their respects to the man for whom the memorial was built for to pay tribute to.

Heads bow deep in thought, watching people in private moments always allows me a little glimpse into the best of the human condition. I was watching a man whisper words into a woman's ear as he draped his arm around her neck I lifted the camera to capture their moment in time when a wave of ebony caught my eye. I blink confused and refocused with my eye to the window and pressed the shutter. Click. Zooming in closer to the capture the profile of their faces, I notice the skin on the woman's face did not look smooth and I was no longer looking at two faces, but three in my lens. I felt my pulse pick up and lowered my camera for a split second, looking around to ensure there was nothing out of the ordinary around me.

Noticing nothing out of the norm except for my now raging heartbeat, I lifted the camera back to my eyes to capture the moment that was still in front of me, when I swore I saw the face with the vanity eyes and ebony black, except this time she was smiling at me.

The need to get to some place familiar became too strong to ignore and I turned to leave Strawberry Fields. I lowered my camera but as I did I noticed my right hand would not leave the shutter. I tried to will my body to move it but it seemed like the message from my brain to my hand was being intercepted. My feet began moving on their own accord taking me towards home. As I walked the 16 blocks back, I noticed that I couldn't stop myself from picking up the camera and clicking the shutter. I looked through the lens. The vanity eyes shined brightly through and a bony white hand reached out as if to touch my eyes.

I tried to pry the camera away from my field of vision but every time I tried, the compulsion to keep snapping the shutter resonated more and more. The need to get to a familiar ground was now not a quiet voice but a screaming roar playing over and over in my mind. I walk faster and faster, finally reaching my apartment building and getting to the elevator to make to my loft.

As I enter the loft I slam my door shut, shaking the antique mirror that resides behind it in the process. The vibrations catch my eyes' attention and although I am fighting the urge I raise the camera once again. I look through the view finder and what I see completely stops my heart. A cracked, dried out figure stands behind me, embracing me in her arms lovingly as if I am her twin soul. Her ebony hair covers half her face but the prominent feature on the other half are those Arctic vanity eyes. She is reaching out with her free hand towards the camera with a wicked grin on her face. In a moment of clarity I drop the camera, running across the room and I hear the first sound that I know will spell my misfortune. CLICK.

Click.

Flash.

Click.

Flash.

Images that cannot be happening appear before my eyes; forms taking shape and crawling out of the camera lens. First, boney fingers scraping across my floor inching their way towards me, pulling whatever they are tied to closer to my body. Then skeletal wrists thin as paper and cracked yellow appear.

Click.

Flash.

Click.

I can see the fingers moving closer and closer to me as the affects of the flash make the room seem to be filled with strobe lights. Just as I am about to scream, I feel the chill of ice cold bones grip my arm as those same golden eyes stare at me from my side of the camera swallowing any noises before they even leave my mouth. As her lips turn up into a sinister smile, I realize now that there is no way out of this and that if I had listened to the shop owner all that time ago, I wouldn't be here now.

Click.

Flash.

Click.

Flash.

I am completely engulfed by this entity her entire form is taking over me. I understand now her goal was not to kill me but possess my body. I can feel her merging into me and there is nothing I can do about it. I try desperately to reach for the camera as my one last act of salvation to destroy it as I should have done when I first developed those pictures, but it's no use. At this point I'm too weak willed or she is too strong. My last conscience thought is of that electric blue eyed girl behind the counter who tried to warn me against this fate, had I just taken the time to listen before I lose myself completely to this entity and fade to blackness.


	15. Day 14 Delay announment

Please accept my deepest apologies for the delay in these days being posted late. Our regular admin that posts. BNJWL had a personal family loss and we all here at TFA are behind her supporting her with anything that she might need. When this happened she asked me (One of Eddies Girls) to please do the posts for her. I readily agreed. Unfortunately I did not predict ending up in the hospital with a sever allergic reaction on Saturday night. So I was unable to get to my laptop and upload the two entries for the 15th and 16th on the proper days. Please know that if I could have prevented this from happening I would have in a heartbeat. But without any further delay both Saturday and Sunday's entries are going to be added as well as Monday's bringing us up to date. Thank you for your understanding. And if you all have a moment go buy BNJWL's page and just leave her some love or love in the group. WE LOVE YOU and are HERE FOR you BB if you need us.

Oh also there was no entry for the 14th.

LOVE… OOEG


	16. Day 15 Onesweetbell

**31 Days of Halloween**

**Title: Forever Manor**

**Author: onesweetbell**

**Rated: M**

**Pairing Bella and Edward**

**Word count: 9316**

**Picture prompt #15**

**Summary**: After a tragic accident, will Edward be able to heal Bella's heartache before it's too late?

**A/N**: Thank you to my twifey and beta, ManiacMotherland. Without her guidance, I would be lost.

Orgionaly this started out one way but as it progressed I found myself in another direction. As they say, follow the inspiration where it takes you. So this is where it took me. Hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer**: I claim no ownership to all things Twilight. Just a need to twist a few characters to fit into my love of Halloween.

######################################

**Forever Manor**

_I have watched and waited for years._

_Tonight was the night._

_Tonight, I would finally make her mine forever._

"Come on, Bella, hurry up," Jessica screeched as we made our way through the makeshift parking lot.

"I'm coming," I mumbled angrily, trying to not stumble on the gravel that was crunching below my feet, which was a little hard to do considering it was dark outside.

"What's wrong, baby girl?" My friend Tyler asked as if he didn't know.

They all knew but somehow pretended that the last year had not happened. Hence, the reason for the outing tonight. I had not wanted to come, but when your so-called friends ganged up on you, sometimes it was hard to say no.

I looked up at him, the full moon reflecting in his dark eyes.

"I'm fine, Ty," I lied.

He threw his arm around my shoulder as we made our way to join the rest of our friends.

"It will get better," he told me. "How about for just one night, try to forget and have a good time. Do you think you could do that? Just for a little while?"

"Sure," I nodded. "I'll try."

That was a lie, of course. They just didn't understand how it felt to lose everyone and everything that mattered to you in this world in an instant, leaving you all alone. How could they? They still had their families. But I would put on a happy face for them and pretend I was enjoying myself, even though I would rather have been at home, curled up in my bed wishing the last year had never happened.

"Wow!" Exclaimed Angela. "After all these years, it's still just as spooky"

"It's still the same old shit," Mike groaned. "I don't know why you guys insist on coming here every year. I still think we should have gone to Marcus' party. This joint blows."

"Oh shut it, Mike," Jessica scolded him.

"I'm thinking he still scared after all these years," Tyler smirked.

"Shut the fuck up. I am not. I was eight years only, man. That would have scared the shit out of anyone, dickhead. Besides, you're the one that pissed your pants."

"I did not! It was my drink that pissed my pants!" Tyler protested. "And you hitting me with your elbow!"

"Knocked it off, you two!" Angela shouted. "This is tradition, so suck it up, 'cause we're not leaving."

"Oh my God!" Jessica screeched again and stopped walking. "Do you see that? It looks like they put in a real moat this year."

We all stopped and looked to see what she was talking about. There seemed to be a pool of water surrounding the front of the old manor. I wondered how Alice had pulled that one off.

Memories of old times flashed through my mind as I stood there looking up at the old three-story house.

Through the years, we had all heard stories of the Old Cullen Manor. The family had owned this parcel of land for well over a century. Each generation building on or rebuilding the old castle-looking home. About 60 or so years ago, there was another house built on the other side of the land with all the most modern amenities, which is where the new generation of Cullens still live.

My father had told me that, when he was little, the old manor had been fixed up and every year since, the Cullen's would hold a haunted house there for the Halloween season.

The first time I was allowed to go, I was in the 6th grade. It scared the crap out of me. First, it was a scary-looking old house, then when you got inside, all the creepy and horrific things surrounding Halloween were there. They would even get some of the high school kids to dress up and frighten the piss out of anyone else who dared to enter the house.

As I got older and meet Alice Cullen, we would be first in line to dress up and become monsters or what-not, so we could have our turn at scaring the kids. It was fun then.

Over the years, the Cullens would move away, but then years later, a new generation would show up. When my father was just a little boy, he told me that when they were gone, Old Man Cullen had left instructions to have the town open up the manor once a year, for Halloween.

No one saw them again until I was in ninth grade and the new generation of Cullens moved back. It had been close to forty years that the place had been vacant, aside from the cleaning crew which would show up every few months, and for the few weeks in October every year.

For all the mystery surrounding them, the Cullens were really great people. I'll never forget the first time I met Alice Cullen. Sweet, bubbly, and very determined to do things her way. Needless to say, we have been friends ever since.

Alice, my friend, Alice. The last time I saw her was at the funeral. I shook that thought away, remembering what I promised Ty, just in time to her Jessica screech again.

"Oh shit! Isn't that Edward?"

"Where?" Angela asked turning her heard back and forth trying to find him.

I turned to see her pointing to a gondola-type boat that seemed to be floating across the water. I could see a figure standing up, but I couldn't see his face, until a cloud moved from over the moon and there he was. Even though he had on a dark-hooded cloak, I knew that beautiful face. I could feel my breathing pick up as I took in his perfect appearance.

I had a crush on Edward Cullen ever since high school. If I was ever honest with myself, I had been in love with him, but I never told him. He was a few years older than Alice and I, so we only had a year together before he went off to college but I would see him whenever he would come home to visit. The last time I saw him was about two years ago, the summer before my second year of college. We actually became friend, and over the years, we would write or email.

The last time I had heard from him was before my parents….

_Okay, time to stop Bella. Stop. Don't go there. Pull back. Pull back to a safe distance._

Blocking my wayward and morose thoughts, I kept my eyes on Edward, watching as he used a long stick to push the little boat closer toward us.

When he was a few yard away, he looked up and made eye contact with me. It was like he sensed I was there and only had eyes for me. As soon as he pulled up to the little dock to stop the boat, I finally heard his voice. It was still just as magical as ever.

"Hello, Bella."

"Hi, Edward," I said bashfully.

_What? Oh lordy, he still makes me nervous_.

"I was hoping you were going to show up tonight."

"Yeah?" That piqued my interest.

"Yeah. I mean… after all, this_ is_ the last night," he said with a little smirk. "I know you guys have a tradition up hold."

"Oh, that's right."

_Stupid girl. _He just wanted to make sure you saw the manor before it closed for the season.

Of course he would know about our tradition. However, what he didn't know was that this would be the last time I would be around to see the place.

"Hi, Edward," Angela chimed in. "It's nice to see you."

"You too, Angela. Hey there, Jess. Guys," he said with a head nod. You know that bobbling thing guys do when they're trying to be cool.

"How about I take the girls over first?" Edward queried as he reached his hand out to Angela to help her into the little boat. Then he turned to do the same with Jessica.

When I stuck my hand out towards him for help, he surprised me by grabbing around my waist. As he lifted me up, he pulled me closer to his body.

I could feel the coolness of his body even through the thick cloak he was wearing. That was something that I would always remember about Edward, and his family for that matter. No matter how hot it got, they always seemed to stay cold to the touch.

As I slid down his body when he released me, I swore I heard a moan pass through his lips, which in turn made me gasp in surprise. I quickly looked up at his face. With a smile and a wink, he turned me around and told me to sit.

I must have had quite the look on my face, because Angela mouthed "what". I couldn't answer so I shrugged my shoulders.

_What was that about? What was he playing at? _

I guess I would just have to wait and see. I tried to calm myself because I didn't want to get my hope up. It wouldn't matter, anyways. This could all just be a friendly gesture. But that moan sure wasn't. I wonder if anyone else heard it.

As Edward pushed up across the moat, he began to talk to me more in depth.

"So, Bella, how are you?"

So this was how it was going to go. I had to brace myself for I knew what was to come.

"Okay."

"Sorry I didn't make it back for…."

I cut him off. I didn't want to talk about my parents' funeral.

"Hey, no worries. Your mom said you where traipsing around unknown parts and were out of contact."

"Something like that," he muttered.

_Hmmmm?_ _Perhaps he has a secret or two_, I mused.

After reaching the other side, he helped us out.

"Bella, would you mind waiting? I would really like to show you around, and maybe perhaps, we can get caught up at the same time?"

"Uhhhh," I wasn't sure how to take that. I looked over at Ang and Jess to see both of their heads nodding yes, so I agreed. "Ummmm, yeah… sure."

"Great! I'll be right back." Then he took off to get Mike and Tyler.

"What was that all about, Bella?" Jessica started in.

"Oh, he probably just wants to talk. We haven't seen each other in a few years. It's no big deal," I lied.

I lied because it was a big deal, but I didn't want to give it away that I was actually a nervous wreck in side. Edward and I hadn't seen each other in a few year, but we had emailed up until last year. Wonder what he had to say to me?

"Well, it sure looks like a _very _big deal to me," Jessica continued. "If Edward Cullen wanted me to wait for him, I would be a panting mess right about now."

"Cool it, Jess," Angela told her. "Remember, they have been friends for years. That's all."

I could always count on Angela to have a level head about things.

"However, Bella, the way he was checking you out, oh my. Looks like you're in for some fun times tonight," she gushed as she waved her hand in front of her face like a fan.

"What the hell are you talking about, Ang? He doesn't see me as anything more than his little sister's friend."

I really had no idea what she was talking about. I don't recall him checking me out. I think I would have notice that. Right?

"Well, from the look of things, he seems to think little sister's friend is all grown up," Jessica chuckled.

"Oh, knock it off you two." I was getting embarrassed.

Yes, I had a thing for Edward, but surely he would not have the same feeling towards me. I didn't want those girls putting things that were not real into my head.

I mean, look at him. All tall and sexy and built. All the girls and even a few guys threw themselves at Edward ever time he turned around. I thought back to high school and realized he never had a girlfriend even though there were plenty who wanted him. Sometimes he stood off by himself or with Alice and me. I wondered what happened when he went off to college.

When he came home to visit, he never mentioned anyone.

I tried to clear my head to these thoughts before he came back with the guys.

"Have fun tonight, Bella," Angela spoke. "This is why we brought you out with us tonight. You have been spending too much time alone. Please just live a little. Life is too short."

"You don't need to tell me that, Ang," I hissed through my teeth. "I know perfectly well how short life is. Bury your family and you learn this real quick."

I was getting mad. Why did she have to go and bring it up again? I knew all too well how short life was, and would be more familiar with fragility of life and death soon enough.

"Bella, please. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," she pled. "Please don't be angry with me."

I knew she meant well, but still it hurt. I nodded my head to let her know she was forgiven, but I just couldn't look her in the eye. I felt the tears just wanting to break through, but I wouldn't let them. I didn't have much time to dwell on it, because Edward showed back up with the guys.

"Hey, Seth!" Edward called out to a boy who looked to be around 15 that had been standing by the front door. "Would you mind covering for me? I think that might be the last, but the people still in the house need to be taken back across."

"Sure thing, man," the kid answered back while taking the cloak from Edward.

"Shall we head on in?" Edward asked.

As we all head into the house, I took a good look at Edward. He had on a black Tshirt that was tight around his toned, muscled arms and black jeans that seemed to fit him just right.

"See something you like, Bella?" he said with a smirk.

_Damn, I just got caught checking him out. _

I quickly turned my head so he wouldn't see me blushing.

We all made our way into the house. Edward stood to the side of me with his hand on my lower back as we took to the stairs that led up to the front door. I figured he was just trying to be a gentleman and help guide me.

As we passed the foyer toward the living room, I could hear organ music.

_Organ music. Hmmmm, that's new_.

The living room was covered in spider webs and candles causeing little shadows throughout the open area. There seemed to be a fog machine in the far corner, making the room feel like you were outside by the lake in the back late at night. The effect was absolutely creepy.

I also notice that on the other side of the room there was an old organ set up and sitting on the bench in front of it was a figure in a dark jacket with a top hat on. This person seemed to be the one playing. Or maybe it was just another prop.

We had been standing there for a few more minutes listening, when Angela said they wanted to check out the rest of the house.

"My parents are in the kitchen, and I'm sure they would like to see you," Edward told me.

"Yeah, okay," I said to him.

I really did want to see his parents. It had a while and I missed them.

"We'll catch up with you all later," he explained to my friends.

As he led the way to the kitchen, Edward reached back and grabbed my hand, intertwining our fingers. It felt nice, but I had to control myself so I wouldn't get overly excited. I knew it was just a friendly gesture.

Standing in the middle of the open kitchen was Edwards's father, dressed in a corduroy blazer and dress pants. I wondered who he was supposed to be. I took in the rest of his appearance and it looked like he was wearing a brown, short-haired wig. It covered his beautiful blonde hair. Nope, still have no idea.

"Bella!" Carlisle called out to me. "It's so wonderful to see you.

He walked over to me and pulled me into a big hug. I relished in it. It had been so long since I felt the arms of my second father, my second family.

Yes, that exactly how I felt about Carlisle and his wife, Esme. Like family.

"My darling, Bella!" I could hear the sweet sound of Esme and suddenly needed to be in her arms as well. "Such a pleasant surprise that you are here!"

I tried to hold back the tears as I felt her arms wrap around my body as she pulled my in to her. Hard but soft, and so familiar.

"Oh, Emse," I tried to say more but the tears were had weld up and spilt over.

I had not seen them in over six months. Not that I didn't talk to Esme every few weeks, because she would call just to check up on me. But seeing them in the flesh, knowing that they knew everything and had been there to hold me when I had no one else. Well, I can't explain it.

No, that's not right. I knew why I was feeling so emotional. I had made a decision, one that I would enact in just a few short weeks. This was goodbye. That's why it hurt so bad right then.

After a few minutes of her telling me that it was okay, and that everything would be fine, I knew I needed to get myself together. One last time I would put on a show. The show must go on, as they say, just for a little bit longer. Before the big day when I finally offed myself for good.

"Bella, are you okay?" Esme asked as I finally released her.

"Yeah, I fine," I nodded my head as I wiped the tears off my face. "Sorry. I'm just so happy to see you is all."

"Well, that's alright dear. We have missed you too."

I stood back and was able to get a good look at her. Every year, she and Carlisle would dress up for the holiday as well, in complementing outfits.

I hadn't notice that she had also been wearing a wig; this one was very curly blonde that was a little long in the back. But what she had on for clothes threw me.

"Esme, why are you only wearing a man's dress shirt?" I briefly hoped that we hadn't caught them in a compromising position, but then I remembered that Carlisle had been fully dressed.

"Don't you recognize me? I was a big hit in the '80s," she beamed.

"No, sorry. I'm a '90s child, remember?" I laughed.

It felt good to laugh; I hadn't laughed in such a long time.

"Mom, what is that god-awful smell?" Edward then asked, crinkling his nose up in disgust.

"Oh, just a little something I have been boiling," she chuckled. "Bella, how about you come and help me."

"Sure." I followed her back over to the stove to see what she was cooking.

I had to agree with Edward, whatever it was stunk to high heaven.

As I looked over at the pot on the stove, I could see something hanging out under the lid.

On closer inspection, it looked like a furry foot.

"Esme, what the hell do you have in there?"

She was standing off to the side with a big wooden spoon in her hand.

"Oh, that's my rabbit stew. Would you like to try some?"

_Rabbit stew? You mean like "I will not be ignored" psycho-bitch rabbit stew?_

"Ummmm, Esme, not to knock you cooking but how come the leg is still furry? Aren't you supposed to, uhhh…. strip the fur…first ?"

Holy shit it just hit me. Her costume.

"Glenn Close in _Fatal Attraction_!" I cried out. I remembered that movie. Alice and I had watched years ago when it was on TV.

"Yes, I am," she laughed. "I always wanted to make rabbit stew."

And I laughed with her. Afterwards, we stood there talking a bit about school and stuff, when we heard Carlisle's voice grow loud.

"You need to tell her, Edward. Alice has seen it," he said to Edward.

"Carlisle, enough," Esme scolded.

_Wonder what that was all about._

"I will," I heard Edward say, not really sure if I was meant to hear it or not.

"Hey, Bella. Let's go take a walk," Edward said in a tone that seemed like it I didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Ummmm, okay."

As we made our way toward the back door, Esme called out.

"Bella, please just listen to what he has to say. Please, dear. We love you."

_Okay, so this night is getting weirder._

We stood outside in the backyard in silence for a while. I thought he wanted to go for a walk, so I was surprised when he pulled me to sit down with him on the edge of the patio.

I was starting to get a little cold because it was a cool October night. I was wondering how long we would just sit here when he finally spoke.

"Bella, I have something to tell you, but I'm not sure how to start."

"Just say whatever it is you have to say, because I'm getting cold sitting out here," I blurted out.

I might have sounded a bit pissy, but I was cold and wanted to get back into the house.

"I... um... shit… Bella, I love you," he finally spit out.

_Say what?_

"What?" I was not sure if I actually heard him correctly or not. "Come again? What?"

"I do, Bella. I love you. I have always loved you."

_No, this can't be happening. Not now. No no no. I made my choice. I am here to say goodbye._

"Why are you telling me this?" I hissed out.

He had really pissed me off with this revelation. Why now? Why not before. He was messing with my plans.

"Because I had to. It was time."

"What do you mean it was time? Why couldn't you tell me before?"

"You weren't ready."

"Ready? What the fuck is that suppose to mean? I wasn't ready when my heart was broken and scarred? Don't you think I could have used that information especially when my parents died? I was so frightened and alone. Why now?" I cried out. "Just leave me alone!"

How could he do this to me? He left and when I need him the most he wasn't there.

"Bella, please," he begged.

"No, Edward. You don't get to say I love you to me. You left me to suffer. It's too late."

"Baby, no… it's not… it's not… Please, I have more I need to tell you. I know you will understand after I tell you. Just, please, hear me out."

_Baby? What the fuck? Why did I like the sound of that?_

"What? What-the-fucking-what? What more could you possible say, Edward, that would make me understand all of this? Understand how you could just leave even though you say you loved me?"

He was silent for a few minutes, like he was trying to find the right words, but I was done listening. I just wanted to leave. I had made my decision. and he was only making it that much harder. If he had told me he loved me long ago, I never would have thought of doing what I was planning. As it was, hearing it now was making this harder.

I was about ready to stand up when I felt his hand on my arm. I looked down at it and then back up to him to tell him to release me, but the look on his face was telling me he wasn't about to let me go, not yet anyways.

"My family's different, Bella. We're not like others. I know you have noticed it too."

"What are you talking about, Edward?"

"You must have wondered way we always look the same, never seem to be ageing. Carlisle is supposed to be in his fifties but he doesn't look a day over thirty. And my mom, well that's not plastic surgery holding the wrinkles at bay. Or even Botox."

I looked away from him; I couldn't think when his gaze was set firmly to mine.

I would have to say that I always wondered about that. I just figured that, since Carlisle was a doctor, he was privy to some special techniques that help stave off the aging processes.

But now that I think about it, there were other things that seemed off as well. The fact that they were always cold and hard to the touch. I never asked, because I felt that was rude. Then, over the years, I just got used to it.

"Bella, what are you thinking?"

I turned back and looked at his face. His perfect face that never seemed to change. When I looked into his eyes, I wanted to know where he got his eye color from. I had never seen such a color before with the exception of his family.

"Edward, why are you eyes a golden caramel color? I have never seen this color on anyone else but your family. Why is that?"

Would he actually tell me the truth? In the pit of my stomach, I wondered if I wanted to know all his secrets.

"And I don't think you would. The reason we have this color is because of our diet."

Hmmmm, what they ate made their eyes that color? Was it some special kind of food? No, I recall sitting down for plenty of meals with his family.

"Edward, how can food change your eye color? What's going on here?"

"Bella, my family and I are vampires."

"What? You are… what?"

It all went blank. I don't want to say that I fainted, because I don't think I did, but the world got kind of fuzzy there for a bit.

#######

After Edward made his big reveal, and after I had pulled it back together, he continued to tell me about his family. I wasn't sure how long we were outside when he finally took me back into the house. Angela saw us and a look of concern flashed on her face.

I wondered briefly what she saw in my face. Confusion, fear, betrayal? I had no idea what I was feeling at that moment.

"Hey, Bella," she said. "Ummmm, the guys want to take off, so I told them I would find you. Where were you? I couldn't find you. You've been gone for over an hour."

Edward spoke before I had a chance.

"Oh, I'm sorry. We just got caught up talking. I will take care of Bella. You guys go on and enjoy the rest of your evening."

When she looked back at me I just nodded to let her know it was okay. Then Edward led me upstairs to one of the rooms that seemed to have not been decorated for Halloween.

As I stood there looking out the window, down at my leaving friends. I knew I wouldn't be seeing them again.

Angela looked up at the old manor and saw me. After a brief wave, she wiggled her fingers in the phone sign and mouthed call me. I nodded my head but knew I wouldn't be calling her.

The things that Edward had said to me had really thrown me for a loop. I had always known something was different with the Cullen family. I just never expected what it was.

_Vampires. Wow. Talk about things that go bump in the night._

I suppose, in a weird way, it made sense. None of them seemed to age in the six years that I have known them. Well, except Alice maybe. Now that I thought about it, she did seem to be pretty crafty with a makeup brush. That would make sense if what Edward told me was true-that she was over 80 years old.

Her boyfriend as I knew him to be turned out to be her husband, Jasper. Twice her age. Edward explained how he had been a major in the Civil War, on the Confederate side.

I couldn't believe Carlisle was nearly 400. Talk about aging gracefully. Well, actually, no. That award would have to go to Emse. Mom extraordinaire. Eighty-eighty years. No wonder she was the perfect mom. Lots and lots and lots of practice.

And Emmett. Turns out he is the baby of the bunch. Even though he looks a lot older then Edward, he's only, oh crap what did Edward say? I can't remember. Something about the '20s or the '30s. I liked Emmett even though he wasn't around a lot. He and Rose, his wife, traveled frequently. She and Emmett have been together for as long as I can remember.

I'll have to ask her one day how she and Emmett met, I decided.

Well, that is if I make it out of here alive tonight. Would they kill me to protect their secret?

Even if they didn't, it still would matter. My life was already over; a few more weeks wouldn't matter.

And my dear sweet Edward, with his messy bronze hair and smoldering caramel eyes. He said the eye color was because they only ate the blood of animals. He's one hundred and six years old. And damn if he still doesn't look fine.

No, no, no! What the hell am I thinking? What is wrong with me? Why am I calling him my sweet? I should be scared. Vampires killed people. Right?

But he said his family did not. I should be terrified. But, for some reason, I wasn't.

Edward told me that we where meant to be together. Said Alice has these visions and saw us together as a family many years ago. They waited until I was older to come back so that their family could stay here longer. The Cullens have always considered me a part of their family, but that was just because Alice and I were friends. Or, at least, I thought.

"What about Alice?" I asked Edward who was sitting on the bed.

"What about her?"

"Was this part of the plan? For her to befriend me so that you could get your hooks into me? Was she ever truly my friend?" I could feel the tears start to well up in my eyes. I did not want it to be true. I loved Alice like a sister, and for her to use me… well, that was just unthinkable.

"Bella, whatever you're thinking, stop. Alice loves you. She feels as though you are her sister. Her best friend. This was never just about you and me. Alice saw you as one of us. She would be hurt to think that you felt otherwise."

"Well? What am I supposed to think? You spring this shit on me and expect me not to question the last six years of my life? Huh? And why is it that you thought it was a good idea to tell me now? Not years before? Jesus, Edward, how do you expect me to feel? Everyone I have ever loved and trusted is gone. I'm all alone again. Why, why, why? Why did you have to tell me?"

That was it. The tears pour out like a faucet.

"Bella, remember what I said about Alice having visions?"

"Yes. So what?" I cried out before I could stop myself.

"She saw you dead. Lying on a slab in the morgue. Suicide they were saying. I knew I had to stop you. I couldn't lose you. Not when we were so close to having everything."

She saw me? Oh, I get it now. She saw me killing myself that's why he's telling me all this now. He doesn't love me. He just feels pity and guilt, not love.

"Well, Edward," I sighed. " You could have said yourself all this trouble. You didn't have to lie about loving me. It won't change a thing, so don't worry. I won't tell anyone about your family's secrets. In a few weeks. it will be like I never even existed. Because, frankly, I won't exist. I won't be alive to tell anyone about your history."

"No, no…no!" Edward growled. "Why are you being so stubborn about this? I _do _love you, Bella. I have for a very long time. Do you actually think that I would say I love you just so you wouldn't kill yourself? Lie about my feelings for you to save you?"

"Why? Why now, Edward? Not even year ago, when I needed you? No, you were too busy with your own life to care about what I was going through. So I'm sorry if I don't believe you now. This is my life, and I choose to end it on my terms."

"Because you were not ready, is why I waited, love," he said softly. "Like I said before."

Damn, he was confusing to me. Damn, damn, damn, damn. Why didn't he just leave me alone?

"I wasn't ready for what, Edward?"

"To know. To know our secrets, to be a part of this."

"Oh, I get it. Because I won't be around long enough, you thought it would be okay to give me one last parting gift, one last stab to my heart, knowing that everything I have ever thought about your family… the love, the hope, the kindness… all of that was a big fat fucking lie? Well, fuck you very much!" I screamed out.

I turned to walked towards the door; I had had enough of this bullshit and wanted out. Fuck him and his whole family. I felt like such a big joke.

But I was stopped dead in my tracks when Edward jumped up from the bed and wrapped arms around me. I tried to break free, but he was so strong. I could feel his cold chest pressing against my back.

Part of me was so mad I couldn't see straight, but another part-and I wasn't sure how strong that part was-that wanted to just melt into his arms and simply believe everything he had said to me that night.

"No, Bella. No lies, it was all true. My family loves you. Carlisle and Esme, well you're like a daughter to them. Hearing you say these things would tear them apart. And Alice, please tell me you don't think she would ever lie to you?"

I didn't say anything. I did not want to listen to anything else he had to say but I couldn't help it. He was holding me so tightly almost like I was ready to vanish.

"Yes, I could have told you I loved you from the moment we meet, because I did. I knew you were meant for me even if Alice's visions had not already proved it. I was planning on telling you soon, after the first anniversary. I wanted to tell you sooner, but Alice kept telling us it wasn't time yet. You needed to sort through your life, get over losing your parents, before you could make this kind of commitment. That's what she kept telling me."

As soon as he brought up my parents, I had a question I need to ask.

"So, tell me this, Edward. If Alice is all seeing with these visions and shit, why couldn't she have stopped the accident? Why didn't she save my parents?" And this is what was hurting me the most now. Knowing that she could have seen what had happened and did nothing to stop it.

"Oh, baby, she did. She did! Alice told me what she saw years ago, even before we met you. She tried every way possible to not let it happen. That was the first and last time that she has ever played with fate. She did for you, Bella, because she loves you that much. But no matter what or how she tried to change the future, the outcome was still the same."

I had my answer, not that I like it but I knew Alice. I hate to admit it but I did. What he told me was the truth. She would have done anything to save my parents because she loved them too.

I cried out again as he held me. Whispering in my ear that he loved me and would make everything better for me.

"But how? How are you going to make everything better, Edward? It hurts so badly. I miss them so much," I sobbed.

"I know you do. But it's my time to take care of you now. When Alice told me you had made the choice a few weeks ago to end your life on the anniversary of your parent's death, we knew it was time. That's why I came back. Well, actually, I never left."

_Huh? Never left. Brown-eyed orphan girl looks confused and says "huh?"_

"What do you mean you never left?"

"Bella, my love. I have been with you the entire time. You couldn't see me. I guess you could say you've had a personal stalker for the last few years. I just couldn't leave you," he told me.

I thought back to the feelings I had over the last few years and how I always felt like someone was watching me, but I wasn't an oh-my-god-someone's-watching-me kind of feeling. It was like I felt protected.

"That was you?" I asked him, needing more.

"Yes, Bella. I was always there to look after you. I couldn't bear the thought of not being around you."

"No… wait. What about when you went off to college?"

"I never went off to college," he chuckled in my ear.

"What? Where did you go then?"

"I was here the whole time, Bella," this time he whispered. "I could never be without you."

"Oh. Here? As in, your house, here?"

"Yes, Bella," he murmured. "Couldn't you feel it? Every time you came over? Didn't you just get that feeling? That you weren't alone anymore? That I was there for you?"

I remember having a strange sense of comfort whenever I had gone to their house when I had thought Edward wasn't there. Thinking back, it felt as if he was there.

How am I just realizing this now? Could it be true? Could everything that had been saying true? Did I want it to be?

I felt his grip on me loosen but he still did not let go of me altogether. Instead, he held onto me in what would be construed as a loving embrace. It felt nice. A part of me wanted to melt into him.

But now what? I wasn't sure. All I knew in that moment that I liked being in his arms and wanted to believe what he said to me.

Unfortunately, the other part wouldn't let me forget what I had been through and how alone I had felt. It wouldn't let me forget my plan. I needed to know what else there was before it was too late.

"Yes, Edward. I felt something," I said. "But know what happens? How does this change anything?"

"Oh Bella, it changes everything. We can be together now. You can't tell me that you never thought of me like that? I could sense your want for me every time I was around you."

"Yes, I did want you. Can't lie about that. But what does that have anything to do with now? After what you have told me, how could it? You're a vampire and I'm just, well… just me. I'm still going to die, Edward. Sooner or later, it will happen."

"It doesn't have to be that way. You could stay with me forever if you wanted to."

_Huh? What the hell is he talking about?_

"I don't understand. How? Why?" I asked. I wanted to know but would it change my mind?

"Bella, I love you. I don't ever want to be away from you," he said. After a brief pause, he continued. "If you wanted, you could be like me. I mean, I could change you, then we could be together forever. But only if you wanted to join us, in eternity."

"What do you mean 'change me'? I'm not sure how that would work, but wouldn't I still be dead? So what's the difference between being dead completely and being a part of the undead forced to live in this world full of pain? At least, being completely dead, I wouldn't feel anything ever again."

"There is difference. Yes, technically, we don't breathe and our hearts don't beat, but we still feel. We can still love. And I love you, Bella. We could be so good together. Will you let me show you before you make your final decision? Please."

"How, Edward? Show me what?" I begged.

Why was I begging him to show me how we could be? My mind was made up. Wasn't it? Maybe I wasn't so sure. Or maybe I just wanted to feel us together one time.

"Just feel, Bella. Feel what I can do, feel what we can do together. How great we can be together," he whispered into my ear.

I sent shivers down my spine. This time, it wasn't because I was scared or mad. This was a new kind of shiver, one that went straight to my toes.

"Yes, Edward," I moaned, not knowing where it had come from. "Show me, please."

"As you wish, my love. I will show you another way. I want you to choose me, to stay with me forever."

I could feel his lips on the outer edge of my ear. His breath was cool but not cold anymore. I knew now that he did not need to breath, but I could feel his chest expanding rapidly, like he was excited about something. My own breathing had picked up in anticipation of what he was about to show me.

As soon as he moved his lip down the side of my neck, leaving soft kisses, I had a feeling what he was going to show me. Well, at least I hoped, because that would have been the most wonderful thing ever, to be with Edward like that. At least I would be leaving this world knowing I had him this once.

One of his arms was still wrapped around my stomach, and I could feel him tighten it up again, but then quickly loosened up, like he knew it was too tight. His left hand and left my body but only briefly to move up to back of my head. He tugged at my ponytail, and then my hair fell free down my back.

"I always wanted to run my finger through your hair. I looked so soft, now I know it is," he whispers while caressing my hair.

His fingers trailed over to my face, gently caressing my cheek down my jaw. I felt pressure like he was trying to turn my face towards his, so I complied.

I looked up to see his eyes looking back at me. I took in a quick breath, he was so close. I had always wondered what kissing him would be like. His lips always looked so plump and juicy.

He eyes trailed my face from my eyes down to my lips as I did the same. I could see his tongue poke out and lick his lips in what seemed to be anticipation. I unconsciously did the same.

As he lowered his head to mine, he spoke in a hushed town.

"You don't know how long I have wanted to kiss you, Bella."

I closed my eyes, parted my lips just a bit and waited. Soon I would know what his lips would feel like upon mine.

I could feel him closing in on me and then the feel of his cool lips lay upon mine. Hard at first, but then my lips seemed to meld around his. A gentle pull on my bottom lip then a pucker. We continued this way back and forth for a moment. When I felt his tongue sweep across my lip, I opened my mouth to him.

He teased my tongue with his, tasting each other for first time. Slow and smooth, cool but somehow also warming. I felt a moan pass though my throat. This was everything and nothing like I expected my first kiss with Edward to be.

I had to breathe but I didn't want to stop kissing him. Unfortunately, for me I needed to, or else I would have passed out-both from the feelings he was invoking in me and my need for air.

As I pulled back to take in a breath of air, Edward dragged his lips down across my jaw towards the base of my throat leaving a trail of kisses. I tried to catch my breath but I just couldn't get enough air in my lungs as my breathing picked up. I was both excited and nervous as to what he was going to do.

I felt a little nibble under my ear and thought he was going to bite me then, to change me. Yes, at this point I understood how he would change me if I let him. But the question was, did I want him to?

"Edward," I whispered.

"Don't worry my love, not until you tell me," he whispered back. "I would never take you without your permission."

I think I just fell in love with him a little bit more when he said that.

Oh hell, he had just kissed me for the first time, and already I was beyond confused. What do I do? All I knew in that moment was that I wanted more of Edward. I wanted him to show me more, to make me feel things I knew he could only do.

"Please, Edward," I said breathlessly. "Show me."

His hands released their hold on me as he slowly ran them down my arms.

I could feel the coolness of his fingertips as they reach under the hem of my shirt touching my warmed skin. Goosebumps broke out across my stomach and my muscle clenched as he started to pull up my shirt and his hands dragged across my body until I had to raise my arm so he could pull it off of me.

"So beautiful," I heard him say behind me.

My hair was being pulled to the side and over one across towards my right shoulder. His lips where pressing against my left one, as his hands made their way back across my stomach. As his fingers caressed my abdomen, he began to use his tongue, tasting my skin as he kissed his way up my neck.

"You taste so good, Bella. Better than I have ever imagined. And I have very frequently imagined it, tasting you."

His hands gripped my hips and pulled me back tight against his body. I could feel how hard he was pressed against me. Every part of him was hard. I also had wondered from time to time if Edward was well endowed. From the feeling poking my lower back, I would venture to say that answer to that was yes.

Suddenly, I started to panic. I had never been with another man before. In fact, I never even had a second date before. I knew I had to tell Edward. But what if he wouldn't continue? I had to stop this before it went any further.

"I… ummmm… wait… I've... never…" I tried to get out but Edward cut me off.

"I know," he whispered softly into my ear. "If you want me to stop, I will. I want you so bad, but if you're not sure, tell me and I'll stop."

My body was a traitorous thing; I knew my arousal was telling from my hardened nipples to the moisture building in my lower regions. The feelings that he was bringing forth from me I had never felt before. Well, actually some I have. I mean, I am a woman and have pleasured myself before. But the other things, the touches, the soft caresses, I had never had the happiness of knowing and it sure as hell did not want to him to stop.

"No!" I exclaimed, maybe just a little too loudly. "Sorry. I mean… sorry… I just don't want you to stop touching me like this."

"I can feel what my touch is doing to you, Bella. How your body is respond to me, like it knows we are meant to be together," he said in a low husky voice as his hands continued to roam across my body, touching parts of me that no man had ever touched.

He moved one hand up until it was between my breasts resting across my heart.

"I can feel and hear you heart beating, picking up every time I touch you," he said then he gently swiped his thumb across my right nipple, sending a shudder through my body. "Just a little bit faster now. You like how this feels. Don't you, baby?"

"Yes," I moaned out while throwing my head back against his shoulder.

He continued softly caressed my bra covered breast for a moment before I felt his finger dip under the fabric to touch my bare skin. He pulled the cup down and exposed my breast.

I had a fleeting thought, "Thank goodness we were turned away from the window." Didn't need anyone else seeing my naked body. I had always been somewhat ashamed by it.

I moaned again when Edward's fingers found my harden nipple and ever so lightly pinched it. He still had his mouth attached to the side of my neck, kissing and licking up and down across my neck and shoulder.

My body was heating up rather quickly with each new touch, each new sensation that he was bringing out in me. He had told me to just feel and that is what I was doing. Just feeling trying to keep any other thoughts out of my head.

I could feel his left hand moving down off my hip toward my leg, gentle caresses up and down, slowly moving forward to the top of my thigh, not stopping until his hand was right next to my center, which at this point was throbbing, wanting to be touch.

At some point, Edward had managed to remove my bra completely and was taking turns touching and caressing both my breast. I couldn't wait to feel his mouth on them.

"Baby, I can't wait to have you in my mouth. You have such amazing breasts," he said, just as his other hand made contact with my throbbing mound.

A lustful moan escaped my lips at that the contact.

"Oh, Edward," I cried out. He touch was almost too much for me to handle, but I knew I needed more. No, I wanted more.

"Yes, baby," he moaned into my neck. "I can feel what I do to you. Can you feel what you do to me?"

He pressed his hardened member further into my back.

"Yes, I can feel you too. Please, Edward. I need more," I cried out to him.

I knew I was going to change my mind; he was making me want to. I tried to hold it off, but my strength was slowly waning.

Quicker than humanly possible, I was laying on the bed with Edward hovering over me. At some point, he had removed his shirt so that I had a stunning view of his naked chest and broad shoulders.

"You want more, Bella? Tell me what you want," he said as he lowered his face, leaning his forehead across mine.

I could hardly breathe at this point but I knew I had to tell him. He wouldn't move without my say, this much I knew.

"You, Edward. I want you, all of you," I demanded. "Don't stop touching me, please."

He placed his lips across mine, kissing me gently for a moment before trying to deepen it. I took quick gulp of air before his tongue made its way into my mouth.

As he kissed me, I could feel one of his hands making is way down my body. Gently moving across my shoulder and arm, back up gain only run down my collar bone to the middle of my chest where he stroked my nipples.

I arched my back, forcing my breast further into his hand while I pulled in a much needed breath. His lips trailed the same path as his hand did. When I felt his mouth envelop my hard nipple, it shocked me a bit because of the coldness but I felt good none the less. He tongue flicked across it a few times before he switched to the other one, giving it the same attention while his hand cupped and caressed.

I was a panting mess by this point, not sure how much more I could take before I would be seeing the bright stars behind my eyes. The tightening in my stomach and tingling sensation that was taking place in the confines of my underwear was telling it would be happening soon. I had heard of others being able to orgasm with just stimulation to their breast, but never had the pleasure until now.

"Oh god, Edward," I moaned loud.

"Do you like this, Bella? I know I love having your breast in my mouth."

Edward was still hovering above my body, holding himself up off of me with one hand and his knees, but I wanted to feel him on top of me. I lifted my legs and attempted to wrap them around his ass to bring him closer to me. He must have felt what I was trying to do, because he lowered himself gently to lie on top of me.

As soon as I felt him press again my still clothed center, my hips buck up on their own accord.

"Oh my god," I cried out as he ground his hardness against my heated core, sending me over the edge.

"That's it, Bella. I can feel you coming undone. See what I can do to you."

It took a few moments for me to come down from the intense high.

"Yes," I said breathlessly, my eyes still closed just enjoying the feeling that had come over me so suddenly. I wondered what it would be like when he would be touching other parts of my body.

I didn't want him to stop. I hoped I didn't have to wait long to find out.

But I soon felt him lift off of me and quickly opened my eyes to see what was going on.

"Edward?"

I could see him standing at the foot of the bed, his chest heaving as if he was breathing heavily. He eyes were closed and he seemed to have a pained expression on his face. His hands were balled up into fists at the side of his legs. For the first time ever, I was little scared and starting to think that this was all a bad idea.

"Edward?" I said again while lifting up to rest on my elbows. "What's wrong?"

What he said next half excited me but also frightened me.

"I can smell you and its driving me crazy. I don't know how much longer I can hold back, Bella."

"Then don't," I whispered, not sure if I wanted him to hear me or not.

He was holding himself back and I couldn't fathom why. Here I was lead by him to feel him, to learn what he thought we could be together. And my goodness was it great. I wanted more.

But did he? Why would he not touch me where I so wanted him to, wanted him to be the only man to ever touch me there, to touch me like he had, forever…

What? Wait, did I just think that? No, wait, have I changed my mind? Yes, yes I did. I wanted Edward. I wanted him, to be with him always. Forever.

"Edward, I want you. I need you. Please," I begged again.

Please let him know how much I wanted him. These feelings he had invoked in me; I wanted to feel them always.

"I want you too, Bella," he confessed finally looking at me. "But I can't. Not until you tell me. I can't give myself to you, to feel that kind of love if you're just going to leave me. I won't be able to bear it. Please tell me."

"Yes, Edward," I said. "I want you, always."

"Forever?" He asked with a raised brow like he was daring me, almost like he didn't believe me. "Say it, Bella. But only if you mean it."

I stared at him for a few moments, taking in this man, this vampire. And, in that moment, I knew without a doubt that he would heal me. He would make everything better. For me, for us. I would love Edward forever.

"Forever, Edward. Forever."


	17. Day 16 Onesweetbell

**Title :** Face in the Window

**Author :** onesweetbell

**Picture Prompt :** 16

**Rated **: M

**Word Count :**

**Summary:** Will Bella be able to handle the strange goings on at the Masen house when she takes a job as at The Cullen Institute of the Paranormal.

**Disclaimer:** Stephanie owns all. Too bad. Because if we did own it, we all would be seeing some major thrusting in Breaking Dawn.

**A/N:** Thanks to my wonderful beta, ManiacMotherland. She always makes me look good.

**The Face in the Window**

I ripped the tab of paper off the bulletin board that was on campus. I had seen the ad posted for about a month and finally decided to just go for it. What's the worst that can happen?

I have always considered myself to be open-minded about things, but paranormal activity? That I wasn't so sure about. I had never encountered a ghost or what-not. I mean, when things die, they are supposed to stay dead. Right?

As I held the number, I felt a cold chill run up my spine. I almost, almost tossed the little piece of paper, but looking back at the flyer, the amount of pay was too good to pass up.

Not that I needed the money, not really. I had been saving for college since I was in middle school, plus I had gotten a full-ride scholarship. But I would it would be nice to buy those boots I had been wanting without putting them on a credit card.

So, before I chickened out, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number.

A very comforting sounding woman answered the phone.

"Hello. You have reached the Cullen Institute. How may I direct your call?"

"Ummm, yeah, hi," I stuttered. "I was calling about the job offer."

#######

About a month later, I was called out to help with an in-house visitor. I had spent the last month learning about paranormal activates and was trained on various electronic devices. And, yeah, I probably watched _Ghostbusters_ and _Poltergeist_ one too many times, as well. Just for shits and giggles, you know?

I mean, I knew all that Hollywood crapola was fake, but still. Not much to go on when you sign up for a bona fide, actual ghost hunt.

I was a little nervous but also anxious to see if what was on the silver screen actually happened in real life. Yeah, I watched tapes and stuff at the institute that claimed it did, but if I got to see if firsthand. Now, that's the shit!

Professor Carlisle Cullen, the head of the institute, and his wife, Esme, climbed into the big van along with myself and two other techs, Tyler and Eric. Then we made our way to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Masen.

As we drove, Carlisle—he asked us to call him by his first name—went over again the specs of our jobs and what was happening at the Masen house.

It seemed their only child had passed away about six months ago at the age of 19. About two months ago, the sighting and disturbances started.

Mrs. Masen was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, so Mr. Masen decided to call the Cullen Institute to see what could be done.

I must have drifted off at some point during the drive, because the next thing I knew, we had pulled up to this quaint two story house.

Upon entering the house, a chill came over me. This had been happening to me a lot lately so I had started caring a sweater around with me all the time. I pulled it out of my bag and put it on.

_That's better. _I sighed to myself_. No need for alarm. Big houses like this are always drafty and cold. Just a bit of breeze. No big whoop._

#######

It took a better part of two hours to get all the equipment set up. Carlisle had decided to use the living room as center command. It was so spacious that it could easily hold all the monitors, video cameras and such. He also wanted Eric and I to set up a camera in the son's bedroom, so we headed up the stairs to do so.

Mrs. Masen was hesitant to let us in the room at first, seeing that this was where her son had died. She explained to us that the room would be a mess. It seemed that no matter how many timed she cleaned it, within an hour, it would be a wreck again. So, after about two weeks, she had stopped cleaning it.

However, when we entered the bedroom, I gasped. I turned back to Mr. Masen, who also had a surprised look on his face.

"Are you sure Mrs. Masen didn't clean the room recently?"

He just shrugged.

"Maybe his son knew he would be having a hot chick in his room and so he cleaned it himself," Eric joked as he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

Just then I saw his head jerk forward.

"Damn, Bella! What the fuck? It was a joke. You didn't have to hit me."

"Ummmmm, Eric I didn't hit you." I whispered. "I'm standing right here."

I don't know why I started to get scared. Maybe because I could feel someone else was in the room with us. But that was stupid. It was just me and Mr. Masen who was still by the door. Then it dawned on me that Eric was playing around.

_Fucker. So immature._

"That's not funny Eric. You almost had me believing you." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not kidding, Bella," he pled. "Something hit me!"

"Yeah, whatever. Let's get this set up before you get hit again. For real this time."

Twenty minutes later, I stood back watching Eric converse with Tyler on the headset, making sure the feed was working right.

All of a sudden I felt cold surrounding me again, but this time it felt like fingers running up and down my arm. I looked to my left, thinking someone was there.

Just as I turned my heard, it stopped.

_Huh, that was weird._

"All set," Eric said. "Let's get out of here. This room is giving me the willies."

I had to laugh at that. If I was being honest, it was giving me the willies too.

As we walked out the door I could hear the faint sound of my name being called.

I turned, thinking it was Eric who was behind me.

"What?" I asked.

"I didn't say anything," he said.

Okay, either I was hearing things now, or Eric was playing with me. I suspected the latter, but decided to let it go for now. I would have to talk with Tyler, maybe get him to help me get Eric back.

#######

The next few days went by with no occurrences. Well, not any that would have been recorded anyway. We all felt the cold breezes at different times. Eric even got hit on the back of the head a few more time. Maybe this sprite was looking out for me, because it always seemed to happen when Eric was either too close or would make a sexist remark towards me.

The second night is when things started to change. At least for me.

For the last month, I been having these dreams where I was with a man I had never seen before. Since being in this house, however, they have become more and more graphic in nature.

The man in my dreams was tall, but then, most people were taller than me. He also had this gorgeous dark red hair that I would run my fingers through. Not to mention his face. Statuesque. Exquisite. He reminded me of that statue of David.

The dreams were so captivating that I found myself thinking about this dream man during my waking hours as well. I was intrigued, nearly obsessed. I decided that once I was back on campus, I would have to look for him because I was pretty certain that I had seen him before, hence the reason he was occupying my dreams.

I would be standing with this man and he would be telling things like how beautiful I was, and about how he had been waiting for me. Whispering sweet nothings into my ear as his fingers trailed up and down my arms. I never wanted the dream to end.

I remember thinking how he had felt a little cold. Then, just before we got very physical, I would always wake up. I would wake up with a shiver, even with a warm blanket wrapped around me.

On the third day, I had the day shift. Tyler was still sleeping on the long couch in the living room when I walked in, while Eric was crashed out on the floor. Both of them had the night shift since most of all occurrences would happen at night.

During the evenings, I usually curled up on one of the oversized puffy chairs. Mrs. Masen had mentioned to me the night before when I was sitting on it that this was her son's favorite chairs. She couldn't part with it. I had agreed with her on this point; it was very comfortable.

Days were pretty routine. Carlisle had to go back to the office during the afternoons, but would be back in the early evenings to check on everything. Esme was usually talking and comforting Mrs. Masen.

I was able to take a few weeks off from attending my classes, but still had to do the work to stay current. That afternoon, while I was doing my English lit homework, I felt cold fingers on my arm.

I looked down but saw nothing there. I could still feel it but no one was around.

Then I heard my name again.

"Bella." Like a whisper. Like an echo.

I could feel the panic starting to rise in my body, but suddenly, I felt a sense of calm. The voice spoke my name again, this time closer to my ear. It was a male's voice but it was so soothing.

"Bella."

I had remembered in my lessons at the institute. If you asked the sprite what they wanted, sometimes they would tell you. So, this time, I answered in a whispered voice.

"Yes. I am Bella. What do you want?"

"You," was all the voice said.

I heard Esme and Mrs. Masen make their way from the kitchen to the living room.

Then, just like, that the coldness and voice were gone.

I guess that whoever this sprite was didn't not want anyone to know he was there. I frowned, feeling a bit sad. He had made me feel… I'm not sure how I felt right then. But I knew I wanted more.

That night, I tried to wheel myself to sleep as fast as I could. I wanted to dream about my mystery man.

As soon as I found him, he grabbed a hold of me and told me to wake up. I didn't want to; I tried to force myself to not wake up.

It seemed to work, because he said, "Okay, have it your way."

The next thing I knew, I was sitting there curled up in the big chair, not sure if I was awake. It was like the feeling you get when you're asleep but you think you're wide awake.

I suddenly felt those cool fingers trailing up my leg. It felt nice, it felt real, even though I knew I was still dreaming.

The coolness continued to travel up my leg, closer and closer to the hem of my sleep shorts. When it tried to get under them, I quickly slammed my hand down.

"No!" I shouted out.

Two things happened next. I heard the voice saying "Meet me in the kitchen" and Tyler asking me what was wrong.

I shook my head to try to clear the sleepiness. I knew I was awake now, or at least I thought I was. Dreams are so tricky.

Then I heard the voice again.

"Lie to him."

And I did. Although I don't know what possessed me to do so.

"Oh nothing! Just a bad dream, I guess."

_Huh? Where the fuck did that come from._

Tyler shook his head and turned back toward the monitors.

"Meet me in the kitchen," the voice said again.

I felt myself being pulled up and out of my seat without my knowledge. I briefly thought I was still asleep and dreaming, because I don't remember walking and yet, there I was, I'm standing in the kitchen right in front of the sink.

I looked up and caught my sight in the window that was above the sink. I remembered that I had put my hair up into ponytails before I went to sleep.

_Can I actually see myself if I am dreaming? Isn't that against the rules?_

My question was answered with a resounding "Yes" as I also took in the sight that was next to me in the window.

There was my stranger. I knew that I was dreaming now.

I turned around to face him, hoping that he would still be there. And, when he was, I was actually happy.

"What's your name?" I wanted to know. Even thought it was a dream, I still needed a name. Any name would be better than "Howdy stranger, wanna fuck?"

"My name is Edward," he said with a crooked smile. "And you don't know how long I have waited for you."

"Well… being that it is _my_ dream, I would have to say I do," I joked back.

He got a strange sad look on his face.

"So. You think you're dreaming?"

_Ummmmm, hello. Gorgeous guys don't just show up out of the blue. Of course I'm dreaming._

"Well, yeah," I stated as if it wasn't obvious.

"You're not dreaming, Bella. You're here with me."

"Edward, I think I know when I'm dreaming," I laughed.

"Well if that's what you think, then you should have no objections to me doing this," he said as he walked closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I whispered as he got closer.

"I just want to try one thing," he told me as he slowly lifted his hand up and placed in on my face.

I didn't have time to savor the feeling because he pressed his lips to mine.

Can I just say wow?

The feel of his cool lips on my heated ones felt great. No, it felt more than that, but my brain was shutting down and all I could feel was him kissing me. Soft and cool, placing soft kisses upon mine.

I heard him moan which made me do the same. Suddenly, his grip was on the back of my neck holding me closer before he decided to deepen our kiss.

I felt his tongue on my lips; it was also cool. I wanted to feel him in my mouth, wanted to taste him.

It seemed a little strange, all the physicality of it. Could you taste in your dreams?

He had a minty taste and something else there that I couldn't place.

Oh well, it didn't matter. It was my dream and he could taste however I wanted.

So I sucked on the tongue which he had slipped into my mouth. Tasting and swirling it around my own. I couldn't help myself. Just his kiss was making me hot and I could feel myself moisten under his touch.

Now I have had the female version of wet dreams and this was definitely going to play out as such. I moved my hands to grip the nape of his neck and started running my fingers through his hair. It felt just as soft as I had imagined it would feel. I tugged it a little bit and he groaned in response.

His other arm was brought up gripped me around the waist, pulling my body flush with his, as the hand that was on my neck reached up and gripped my hair. Not too hard. Damn, it felt good.

Our kiss was so hot and passionate, wet, hard and soft all at the same time. But I felt the need to breath. I guessed that even in my dreams I needed to breath.

I pulled back from our kiss, struggling to get some air into my lungs, but he just kept kissing me. Only this time, trailing down my neck slowly over to my ear. I could hear him panting as hard as I was.

And again, I guessed that I was trying to make my dreams as realistic as possible.

I felt Edward's grasp on my waist tighten as he pulled me closer. I could also feel what I think was his erection pressing into my lower stomach. And boy was it big.

He started grounding himself on me, and I knew that, at that point, I was going to end up waking up. This would always happen in my dreams. As soon as it started getting hot and heavy, just before penetration, I would always wake up.

"I want you, Bella," he whispered into my ear. "Please tell me that I can have you. You have to tell me otherwise I can't have you."

This was my dream, and since I knew I was about to wake up, I figured, what the hell. Why not?

"Yes, Edward. Yes, you can have me," I moaned.

"Thank you," was all he said before he quickly moved his hand away from my waist and pulled down my shorts and panties.

_Whoa, that was quick._

"Turn around and hold on to the counter," he ordered.

Of course, I complied. It was a little hard with my shorts around my ankles but I managed. Just as quick, his hands were on my hips pulling back against him. His body felt hard against mine, almost lifelike. I didn't have too much time to ponder on that part of my dream as one of his hands made its way towards my every dampening sex.

As he made contact, a shudder rocked my body.

"Do you like that, Bella? Do you like how I touch you?" he breathed heavily into my ear.

"Yes," I moaned. Boy, did it feel good.

His fingers passed through my wet folds until he found my throbbing nub. As he rubbed my clit his other fingers found my entrance.

Wow, I wonder if his finger would be this ambidextrous in person.

He slid his finger inside of me and I let out another moan. I knew I was so wet.

For some reason, I hoped that I wasn't touching myself in my sleep. That would be an awkward conversation to have with Tyler. He would have had quite a show.

"How the holy hell could you be thinking of someone else, Bella, when I have my hand on your pussy?"

_Oops, I might have just said that bit about Tyler out loud._

"Yes, you did," he whispered in my ear. "Now. Are you still so sure you're dreaming, baby?"

"Yes, I know I'm dreaming."

"Why?" he asked as he began to pick up the speed around my clit. I was almost over the edge.

"Because...real life… never…felt…so…good," I tried to say as an orgasm ripped through my body.

Holy shit! That was amazing. I don't think I had ever come so hard in my life. Too bad it was a dream.

"You ain't felt nothing yet, my sweet girl," Edward declared.

And again, my inner monologue not quite working correctly in my dreams. Odd.

"Hold on tight. You're in for quite a ride, baby."

I grabbed a hold of the counter with both hands as I felt Edward pushing my back down a bit and then pull up on my hips. I looked up and could see my reflection in the window again and noticed a reddish glow in my eyes. That was weird.

I was about to say something but was distracted by the feeling of something hard against my pussy. It was cool as well, and I had a feeling I knew what it was.

It was his cock. As he rubbing along my folds, I could hear loud moans coming from him.

"Oh baby, you feel so good. I can't wait to be inside of you."

And neither could I. I didn't have long to wait. He thrust into me in one swoop.

"Oh fuck!" I cried out.

"Yeah, that's it, baby," he hissed out as he began a course of hard thrust. "Damn, you pussy is so tight. You feel so good wrapped around my cock."

All I could do was moan. He was fucking me so hard. I was glad I had a good grip on the edge of the counter, because I'm sure he would have shoved me right through it.

He felt so good, his big hard cock slamming into my wet as hell pussy. Sometimes dreams were so good, but this was this first time that it actually felt real.

"Oh, this is real, baby," Edward panted into my ear. "I'm so glad you let me have you. I can stay with you now. Would you like that, Bella?"

He slowed down a little, but each time, he moved himself back into me he pushed himself deeper, deeper than anything ever before.

"Oh god, Edward!" I cried out. "Yes, yes."

Hey, it was my dream and if he would come visit me every night and have amazing sex, and then he could stay.

I heard a chuckle from behind me. Perhaps I had said that out loud as well.

He started picking up speed again and I knew I wasn't going to last too much longer. I could feel myself start to grip his cock tighter. He must have felt it too.

"Oh yeah, cum for me. Cum on my cock," he groaned into me ear. "I can't hold out much longer."

I could felt his cool breath on my cheek and with his words I was sent over the edge again. However, I was brought out of my blissful state when I felt a sharp pain on my face. I quickly jerked my head up and looking to the window again. I knew I would be able to see my reflection and when I saw it I started screaming.

What I saw staring back at me was my face with a big chunk tore out of my cheek. Oh my god did it hurt. I started screaming louder as I also took in the sight of Edward laughing as he stood behind me, with blood running down his lip.

_The fucker bit me. What the fuck was going on? _

"What the fuck are you laughing for?"

He didn't answer me just kept on laughing. I knew I needed to wake up. This dream had just taken a turn for the worst and I wanted it over.

Just then, he grabbed hold of the sides of my face and it looked as if he was about to clap his mouth on to my other cheek.

_Oh hell no!_

I started screaming again, as loud as I could, hoping that it would wake me up.

All of a sudden, the kitchen was bathed in light and I could hear Tyler calling out to me.

"Bella, Bella! What's wrong?"

I couldn't stop screaming as I took in his words. I was still holding onto the sink as well as looking into the window. But as soon as the light hit it, the reflections were gone.

I felt hands on my arms and filched, thinking that it was Edward again and I was still dreaming.

"Bella, what's wrong? Please you need to stop screaming," I heard Tyler's voice again.

I was being turned around but was still afraid I would face Edward again. I was happy to see it wasn't.

"Tyler?" I wasn't sure. Maybe I was only thinking or dreaming he was there.

"Yes, Bella. It's me, its Tyler."

The room was full of people at this point, but I could only focus on Tyler.

"Am I still dreaming?" I asked hoping that I had woken up and would be lying on the couch in the living room again.

"No Bella, you awake," he said. "But why would you be asking me that when you're standing here in the kitchen?"

I quickly took in my surroundings and realized that I was standing in the kitchen.

Oh my god! I quickly looked down, hoping that my shorts and panties where not around my ankles. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw I was properly dressed.

Then I had a brief thought of how Edward could have gotten into the house with all the security. But that is all I could manage before the questions started.

"Bella, dear. What's going on? Are you okay?" I heard Esme ask.

"Um, yeah, I think so," not really sure if that was the right answer.

As I looked at the people who now occupied the kitchen, I saw Carlisle and Eric as well. I wondered why they were here so late. Also both Mr. and Mrs. Masen where there too.

What happen to Edward? I thought. He must have snuck out before they arrived in the kitchen.

"What was that? Who did you ask for?" This time it was Mrs. Masen asking.

Seems I was still having issues with my inner monologue even though I was awake.

"Ummmm, Edward," I told her.

"Edward? Why would you be asking for him?" she asked with a puzzled look.

"Ummm… well, he was… ummmmm…. here."

"What? No, no, that's not possible!" Mrs. Masen exclaimed as she grabbed onto her husband. Esme turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What is it Elizabeth?" Esme asked.

Mrs. Masen didn't answer her; she just continued to cry. Mr. Masen eventually answered the question.

"Edward, he was our son. We thought maybe he was the one haunting us but we wanted to be wrong."

My eyes popped open with what I heard. Edward was her dead son.

_Holy shit!_ my brain cried out. _I have just fucked a poltergeist. _

That shit was real. I wasn't dreaming.

I ran to the bath room as soon as I felt the bile rise up in my throat. After puking, I washed my mouth out and my hands.

When I looked into the mirror, I saw that my face was back to normal. But the next reflection saw scared the crap out of me.

Edward.

"You're mine now, Bella," he growled.

"Oh hell no!" I screamed out.

Running back out, I made my way to the living to and grabbed my stuff. Slipping my shoes on just Carlisle made his way towards me.

"Bella, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? What's wrong? You don't even wanna know what's wrong!" I screamed. "Fuck this place and fuck this job. I'm out of here!"

I flung open the door and was struck by the light of day. It was morning already. The grass was all dewy, and the birds were all chirping. This was fine with me.

After that fuckery back in the kitchen, I sure as hell didn't want to walk home in the middle on the night.

After all, things go bump in the night. If I didn't know it before, I sure as fuck did know it now. The face in the window taught me that, if nothing else: too good to be true often turns out to be worse than your darkest nightmare. Thank heavens I figured this out, before it was too late.


	18. Day 18 Nails233

**31 Days of Halloween**

**Title: Beauty and the Beast**

**Rated: M**

**Pairing: Edward and Bella**

**Word count: 1855**

**Picture prompt #18**

**Summary: Can a Halloween Ball change everything? Can beauty find true love with an evil beast in one glance? Edward and Bella will find out.**

**Disclaimer: Please . . . like I have a chance at owning Twilight! Seriously, do my initials say S.M.? Nope, Nada, no way, no how. **

**Edward's POV**

I've travelled the spans of the world and years of time. I knew, the moment I'd seen her in Alice's vision, I had to have her. Ditching my family years ago, I searched her out. We barely exchanged calls anymore. They didn't approve of my stalking Isabella. In my mind, I was simply protecting what would one day be mine.

She never saw me watching her over the years. The trees had become my home away from home. I'd bought a rundown estate not far from her father's house when she moved to Forks. It was rarely used, though, only to shower and entertain myself when she was unwatchable.

The woods separating our homes were the only barriers between us, not that they could stop me. Creeping through the gloaming shadows, I traversed the distance every night to watch her sleep. The sight of her, scantily dressed, tossing amongst her sheets, her scent penetrating every fiber of my being, kept me coming back every night.

She had turned eighteen a month ago. The time to act had arrived. A Halloween dance at her school gave me the perfect enchanted evening to charm her and lure her away. I wouldn't be denied this time.

Arriving at the school, I parked my bike and slipped on the mask I'd bought to ensure my appearance of Erik "the Phantom" from the Phantom of the Opera. Halloween offered me one night each year when no one would think twice about my gleaming red irises. Mingling, unobserved, with the students entering the school, I drifted around in search of her. While I appeared no older than they were, they'd always be children to me. After a century of being a vampire I'd seen and experienced more than they could ever imagine. While my physical body appeared only seventeen, I'd lived an eternity already.

With the lights dimmed and sheer black swag draped around the walls, the gym glowed with eerie holiday festivity. There she stood, my single obsession: Isabella Swan. The antique, 1908, black lace overdress gown and red velvet underdress I'd secretly sent her hugged her form perfectly. The red colored velvet hat from the same era perched precariously on her hair; a feathered, full-bodied blackbird perched on its crown completed the look perfectly. With her ethereal beauty, she looked as if she'd just stepped onto the decks of the Titanic.

Charlie had accepted the package from the delivery boy thinking Bella had bought it. She, in turn, had no idea who'd sent it, assuming Charlie had been the one to make the fanciful purchase. No on all accounts. First of all: her "costume" would cost a year's salary. Second, it had belonged to my mother, before she became ill and passed from this earthly coil, leaving me the very night I was turned into a blood-lusting creature of the night.

I murdered more than my share of humans, seeking the precious serum pumping through their veins. I'd tried to stay with the vegetarian diet of my adopted family, only to slip time and time again. Nowadays, the societal vermin in Port Angels or Seattle cured my need for the thick, crimson ambrosia.

Just being surrounded by the delectable banquet on display in the shrouded room had my mouth watering. Any one of them would sate my craving, squelch the searing burn in my throat, but it wouldn't win me my prize: the gorgeous creature shying away from the unworthy masses by hiding in the darkest recesses of the gym.

Slinking through the crowd of undulating teens between us, I approached her, my eyes drifting along the delicate lines of her lace-covered back. "Good evening, Isabella." She shivered at my tone, tensing, but not turning to see who had joined her. I drew in a breath, the air heavy with her scent. She smelled good enough to eat, in more ways than one. Reaching around, I handed her a long stemmed, blood-red rose. "Dance with me." With a firm grasp, I took her arm, allowing her no opportunity to decline my demand.

"I'm not the dancing type. You may regret the offer." I led her to the dance floor anyway.

"Very doubtful," I purred, pulling her into my arms.

Another disadvantage to being a vampire, we dazzled our prey into submission. Her eyes glazed over while her body molded to mine. A sigh slipped from my lips when her supernova, frail arms draped around my frigid neck. When she stumbled over her own feet, I lifted her by her hips, settling her tiny feet atop my own.

"Doesn't that hurt? My boots I mean?" she gasped.

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Not one bit. I've waited too long for this moment."

"Really? Who are you? What classes do we share?" she quizzed, nibbling on her lower lip.

"I don't go to school here, Isabella. The only reason I am here is for you." My voice took on a new tenor, one of lust and desire.

Whirling her around, I savored her scent on me. "Should I be afraid?" she whispered, leaning her cheek to my chest.

I cooed, giving her a heavier dosing, "Yes, you should be."

She quivered against me. "So why am I not afraid of you?" she nuzzled her heated cheek against my chest.

Could I be honest with her? "You know that answer. I've been watching you," I hinted.

"You're the one I felt in my room. I thought I imagined it. My guardian angel, always there to protect me," she hummed.

"No, you didn't," I sighed. "And, I'm no angel." My brow furrowed, guilt washed over me. "I came to take you away, but now, I can't. You're too innocent for me to destroy." Releasing my grip, I pulled away.

"Wait, don't go!" she called when I weaved away from her.

Pulling my mask from my face, I paused and looked back. She gasped at the sight of my grotesque face. I'd finally scared her. Since when did I develop a conscience? I would do anything for her, for my love of her. I'd endure the rest of eternity alone, visiting her in the darkness, remain her guardian angel, as she phrased it.

For someone who didn't have a heart, it ached anyway. Once outside, I kick-started my Harley, before regretfully pulling away from the school.

~8~

Walking through the rundown heap I called home, I made my way to the second floor. The stairs I'd never fixed creaked under my feet. Debris and broken glass littered the hallways. Raking my hands through my hair, I growled out, dropping to my knees. Every ounce of pain I felt vibrated off the windows, shaking them.

She'd called last week and warned me, but, as usual, I didn't listen to her. I hung up when she put Carlisle on the phone. I'd heard it all before.

There was nothing left to do except sit there and let the pain have me. Time would no longer matter to me. Without her, there was nothing left inside me. I'd planned everything so perfectly, but seeing the gentleness in her eyes, the hope in her voice, and the innocence of the simple gesture of biting her lip had rendered me helpless.

Sniffing the air, I picked up her scent. She was in my home? And she wasn't alone. Alice and Carlisle. Why had they brought her? Were they trying to torture me more?

'_Edward, you need to hear her out,'_ Carlisle thought.

'_We know you can't hear her in your mind,'_ Alice mentally giggled, pleased no doubt.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I hissed not bothering to whisper.

"Because I need you," she whimpered.

Jumping to my feet, I spun, seeing her standing in the doorway. Clenching my hands into tight fists, I fought the urge to go to her, to touch her. "You shouldn't be here. Go, now, before it's too late," I snarled, hoping to scare her.

"No. I know what you are. They explained everything to me. I feel safe around you even though I shouldn't." She shook her head. "You came tonight to take me? Make me your mate? Why did you change your mind? Was I a disappointment to you?"

"Never, you're perfect. I'm the hideous beast." I turned away to hide my face.

"You're not hideous. You're beautiful to me. Is it that you don't want me forever?" Dropping my head, I cinched my eyes shut.

"I've always wanted you," I sighed when she crept closer.

"The scars . . . Alice said you were protecting me when you got them?" Gently, she stroked the groves running from my temple to my chin.

Something in her eyes twinkled, or maybe I imagined it. "The wolves were at your door. You needed me to keep you safe." I huffed, turning away.

Slipping her arms around me, she cuddled between my shoulders. "She said you'll love me, care for me forever. At night, when I dreamed, I dreamt of a shadow. It was you, you were that shadow. Don't leave me." The aroma of salt tickled my nostrils.

"I will always love you, and never leave you. You need to go and live. Love awaits you elsewhere." I removed her hands forcibly.

"Then you leave me no choice."

A human wouldn't hear it, but a vampire could hear the tearing of her skin. The sweet aroma of her blood filled the room. My head snapped back in time to see her smiling before crumbling to the floor, the glass shard she'd used still in her hand. I hissed at the movement at the door.

"Save her, Edward. She had no life ahead of her. Charlie decided to clean his guns tomorrow. It's going to misfire and kill her." Alice grinned.

"I won't be able to stop!" I gurgled, my mouth filling with venom.

"I'm here to help you stop. It's what family does." Carlisle nodded.

Looking down, her eyes pleaded to me, to my heart. How could I say no? If she was destined to die anyway, why not one day early and be with me for an eternity?

Pulling her lithe, blood soaked arm to my mouth, I saw nothing but acceptance in her eyes. She wanted the monster I was. I latched onto the tender flesh and gave as I took. If she was set to be my mate, I'd give her anything. For once in my existence there was no problem letting my bloodlust go. Licking it gently, I caressed the wound shut. Her fate was sealed.

A/N Happy Halloween everyone!

Many thanks to Busymommy for betaing this in rush and Butterflybetty for prereading in a hurry.


	19. Day 20 Butterfly Betty

31 Days of Halloween

Title: Don't Forget Me by butterflybetty

Rated: MA/NC-17

Pairing: Bella

Word count: 1549

Picture prompt # 20

Summary: One moment was all it took to tear them apart. Now, in a single heartbeat, they'll find their way back together one last time.

Disclaimer: Twilight is the sole property of S. Meyer.

Moving through the piercing darkness, I looked back to make sure I hadn't been followed. I wasn't allowed to be here, not anymore, but I couldn't stay away. I needed to see you, make sure you were okay, even if that meant facing the harsh consequences later. You were worth everything.

Hitting the edge of the trees, I closed my eyes and listened to the night. The only sounds were too soft for most to pick up. A quarter mile up the trail, a small brook trickled over the pebbled rocks. A handful of deer ran through it, disrupting the smooth flow. A wolf howled, before heading north, his pack following him in search of their prey. All seemed perfectly normal, yet extraordinary, too.

With a shake of my head, I tightened my dark overcoat around my body and sprinted off to the small, rock cottage. Our home. Well, I suppose it's your home now. Letting myself in, I stopped in the living room and looked around. Bringing my hand to my chest, I struggled to contain the cry vibrating inside my chest. Everything looked the same. Yet, I knew everything had changed.

Clutching the panels of my coat together, I padded quietly into the bedroom, pushing the door behind me. Releasing the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, I turned to find you lying in bed. The cranberry sheet we'd bought so months ago barely covered your lower body. Crossing the room, I knelt down next to the solid oak sleigh bed. My hand twitched at my side, begging for me to reach out and take yours into mine. I didn't. I was already too close.

"Bella," you murmured, rolling from your back and onto your side. Reaching up, you pulled a pillow against your chest, burying your face in it. "Miss…you."

Closing my eyes, I wept silently. I missed you, too. I'd never expected for my life to end like this, with me crouching at your bedside, stealing what few moments I could from you. We'd made plans. Our nights were supposed to be spent clinging onto each other, our days filled with laughter and joy. We were going to travel across Europe, being the ultimate tourist. But instead, you grieved into your pillow, while I sat helplessly at your side. One moment had been all it took for everything to end. One terrible, painful moment.

I didn't remember much; a pair of bright lights, loud crunching of metal around me, cold rain dripping through my hair. People screamed and sirens blared around me, but I couldn't see them. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. The lights faded, the noise went away, the rain stopped. In less than a heartbeat, I was dragged away from my life, my soul, my everything. I was pulled away from you.

With a shudder, I reached out, stroking your cheek. Your skin tingled beneath my fingers. You shivered, but leaned further into my hand. Before I could stop myself, I shrugged off the dark overcoat I wore and climbed in the bed next to you, tossing the pillow away.

"Oh, Bella," you cried, pressing your body against mine. "Come back to me!"

"I'm here," I whispered, stroking your cheek. If I tried hard enough, I could remember how your skin felt against mine, your warm breath ghosting across my sensitive flesh. I remembered the first time you touched me, how tender you were with me.

"Too far away," you mumbled each word thick with sleep.

Rolling with me in your arms, my body covered yours like a blanket, my legs automatically finding their way to the sides of yours. The soft, ivory dress I wore slid up my thighs, bunching at my waist. Your eyes fluttered open, a breathtaking smile spreading. God, how I've missed your smile.

"You're here," you murmured, moving your hands up my legs. "You've been gone too long."

"I know, baby," I cooed, trying to sooth you. You'd forget this moment in the morning. The powers that be would make sure of it. It wouldn't matter how much I wanted you to know that I'm always here with you, they wouldn't allow it.

"Where have you been?" Closing my eyes, I struggled not to blurt out the truth. Just one more secret I'd been forced to keep from him. He couldn't know about the afterlife, not yet anyway.

"Here," I lied. "Always here."

"No, if you were here, it wouldn't hurt so much," you argued, sitting up. Sliding your arms around my body, you nestled yourself against me. Exhaling, I felt your heartbeat racing against your chest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, threading my fingers through your hair. I wanted to tell you everything, but I couldn't. You'd never understand why I had to leave. I didn't understand it, either.

Your hand drifted lower, slipping under my dress. Closing my eyes, I gave myself over to you, letting you remove my dress. I shook my head, allowing my dark, mahogany hair to fall around my shoulders. Moving your eyes over my naked form, you sighed. "You're so beautiful," you moaned, lips pressing against my collarbone.

Remembering the first time you told me you thought I was beautiful, I smiled. Felt like a lifetime ago that we found ourselves staring at each other across a crowded room. Even in that short, meaningless moment, our fate had been set. Ghosting my thumb over your cheek, I fought the tears burning the corners of my eyes.

"You're shaking," you whispered, kissing the corner of my mouth.

"I need you," I breathed, knowing I was selfish for needing you.

Without a word, you flipped us over, wedging yourself between my legs. Capturing my lips, you slipped your hand down my side, grazing the curves of my breasts. Shivering from your touch, I tightened my grip on your hair, begging you with my body to hold me tighter.

Tearing your mouth from mine, your lips traveled down my neck, finding purchase on every inch of skin you could find. Slowly making your way down my chest, you found my nipple. Crying out, I arched into your touch, needing more. Always needing more of you.

Your manhood pressed against me through the thin layer of cotton that separated us. Releasing your hair, I slide my hand down your ample chest, finding my way inside your grey boxer briefs. Wrapping my fingers around you, you moaned, letting go of my nipple.

"Oh, baby," you groaned, pressing your face into the side of my neck.

"Take me," I urged, sliding your boxers down over your hips. "Show me I'm yours again. Make me yours forever!"

Leaning back just far enough to look me in the eyes, you smiled. "You are mine," you insisted. "Even if only in my dreams, baby, you're mine. You always have been, always will be."

A strangled sob slipped out of my mouth, only to be turned into a throaty moan when you filled me with one quick thrust. Slipping your arm under my back and lifting my hips off the bed, you set a steady pace. The sound of our heavy breathing and bodies moving together filled the room, reverberating through the night air.

Leaning back on your heels, you lifted me up, sliding deeper into me. Wrapping my arms and legs around you, I held to you, desperate to stay with you. Trailing your fingers up my spine, you gripped my shoulder with one hand, while the other drifted down to my ass. Digging your nails into my flesh, you increased your pace. I wanted to beg you to slow down, to make sweet love to me. But at the same time, I wanted you to move frantically, to take me hard and fast.

Removing your hand from my bottom, you grabbed onto the headboard, shuddering as your release overcame you. "Oh, baby," you grunted, stilling your hips against mine. "Fuck!"

Unable to hold on any longer, I fell over the edge with you. Clinging onto you, I cried, "Don't forget me. Please, don't forget me!"

"Never," you promise, pulling me to lay in the bed with you. Curling your body around mine, you drifted back to sleep. When morning came, our night together would be a clouded memory for you, laying somewhere between the realm of possibility and reality.

Sliding to the side of the bed, I pulled my dress back on and grabbed my coat. Turning to face you, I leaned down and kissed your soft lips. "I love you, Edward," I whispered. "I'll always love you."

Leaving you laying with the sheet slung across your hips, I slipped out of our cottage, hurrying into the woods. Discarding the overcoat, I took one last look at the home we'd once shared. This would be the last time I'd be able to come back to see you. Tears seared my eyes, but I'd made my choices, and now, I'd have to live with them

Feeling my heart break, I turned my eyes toward the sky, a loud swoosh echoing through the trees. Fluttering behind me, my white wings lifted me off the ground, taking me into the heavens where I'd spend my days watching over my husband, and my nights searching for those who were lost.


	20. Day 21 KylaMichelle

31 Days of Halloween (admin note: My apologies this was supposed to go up yesterday, but I got caught up with RL)

Title: Three Unruly Pumpkins

Author: KylaMichelleHugsalot

Word count: 2018

Picture prompt # 21

Disclaimer: Twilight is the sole property of S. Meyer.

**A/N: Hi all! I volunteered to do this to stretch myself but found it a hard task as I am not a lover of Halloween or scary things that go bump in the night. SO, I chose to do a simpler Halloween tale based loosely off the children's Halloween cartoon, Monsters vs. Aliens: Attack of the Mutant Pumpkins. But my version is Cullen-fied.**

**Enjoy!**

"Melanie Katherine Cullen, you better get this table cleared off if you want to carve the pumpkins when your dad gets home." I yelled at my boisterous seven year old daughter for the third time in an hour.

"I'm coming mom, just let me finish this game." She yelled back from the computer desk around the corner from the kitchen.

I shook my head, and cursed Edward in my head for showing her that Halloween game on the computer. Between her inheriting my love of books and Edward's love for all things electronic the girl was doomed to be a nerd.

But, I loved her regardless and couldn't be more proud of her heritage.

I heard Edward's car pull up into the driveway and started to dry my hands. "Melanie, your dad is home and if this table isn't cleaned off in the next five minutes, there will be absolutely no pumpkins carved in this house."

I heard her huff, pause the computer and stomp into the dining room where her homework and art supplies were scattered all over the table top.

Edward walked through the garage door just as she finished packing everything back into her backpack.

"How are my beautiful girls today?" He said as I sighed and greeted him with a kiss.

"Hmmm, missed me did you?" He grinned as we broke apart to the whine of 'ewwws' coming from our darling daughter.

"Remind me again why we chose to have a child?" I asked, teasingly to my husband.

"Because she is the spitting image of you and the world couldn't stand not to have two versions of the most beautiful girls on the planet." He said as he picked Melanie up for a kiss.

I quirked an eyebrow at his attempt to woo me with his words. He laughed at me and winked.

"How was your day, pumpkin?" His voice was soft and calm when he spoke to our child. She was able to reduce the hard-working surgeon into putty with a single look.

"It was great, we told to ghost stories in class today." Her eyes lit up as she told him the story and I started to cook our dinner, having already heard this story twice already. They walked through the kitchen to the living room, part of their nightly routine.

"So, aren't we supposed to work on some pumpkins tonight?" He asked as he walked back into the kitchen, freshly showered with Melanie at his heel.

"Yes, we are." She declared matter of fact. "But, dad, can you tell me a scary story while we do it?" She asked as she plucked a few grapes from the bowl on the counter.

"I'm sure I could manage a story or two. But, have you decided which design you want on the pumpkins?" Edward asked as he started to set everything up.

"Yep, I want the three scary jack-o-lanterns that we saw on that website." She announced and ran to grab the picture that they had printed off the night before.

Edward went out to the garage to retrieve the pumpkins we had so painstakingly picked from the pumpkin patch the weekend before.

I stood at the bar and chopped some veggies for the stir-fry and listened with rapt attention to the tall-tale he was about to embark on in order to amuse our inquisitive child.

"Well, Melanie, did you ever hear about the Mutant Pumpkin invasion?" He asked as she shook her head while she hung on every word he said.

"There was a UFO sighting near Farmer Jed's pumpkin patch a few days before Halloween the year that Uncle Jasper and I were twelve and Uncle Emmett was thirteen. Apparently, it had been spotted by numerous people around town. An investigation was done the next morning but nothing was ever proved. But, it didn't stop people from talking about it or coming up with ridiculous stories about what had actually happened." He paused and guided Melanie's hand as they started to cut open the tops and remove the gunk inside.

"Did you know about it, Daddy? Did the Aliens leave one behind?" I chuckled silently, knowing that Melanie was referring to ET from when we watched it a few nights ago for family movie night.

Edward laughed. "No baby, there were no aliens left behind but the spaceship had sprayed something on the pumpkin patch that no one had known about. But we'll get to that part."

He cleaned off his hands and came to get a plastic bag out of the cabinet but stopped to kiss me on the side of the neck in the process. I shooed him away so he could resume his 'scary story'.

"Daddy, what did the aliens spray on the pumpkins?" Melanie asked curiously.

"Hold on, pumpkin, we aren't to that part of the story yet." Edward chuckled and resumed his work on cutting open the next pumpkin as Melanie scooped out the guts with a small cup.

"So, people started to show up at Farmer Jed's to pick out pumpkins but no one could find him. They assumed it was okay to just take the pumpkins and word quickly spread that there were free pumpkins to be had. But no one inquired as to where Farmer Jed had gone. Jasper, Emmett and I knew that something had to have happened to him because he was meticulous about those darn things." He stopped talking as Melanie threw her hand up.

"What's that word you just used?" She and Edward played this game where he would introduce her to a new word every couple of days. I guess todays word would be meticulous. He spelled it for her as she wrote it down to look it up in the dictionary later, and then resumed her gut removal on the second pumpkin.

"So what did you do, Daddy?" Her eyes and ears were trained to his every breath.

"Well, we dressed all in black and snuck out of the house one night to go do our own investigation. We hiked the half mile out to the farm but couldn't find anything in the dark. Emmett volunteered to stay the night and stake out the place, saying he would walk back home at first daylight. So, Jasper and I grabbed a few pumpkins and walked back home." Edward paused and grabbed the markers to draw the outline on the pumpkins face.

"Daddy, you and Uncle Jasper walked in the dark? Weren't you scared?" Melanie asked in awe of her dad.

Edward chuckled and tapped his finger on her nose. "Yes, a little but I couldn't let my twin or my big brother know that. I'd have never lived that down, besides, I think they were scared too."

She giggled and shook her head at him.

"So, the next morning Uncle Emmett comes home and tells us that he kept hearing noises but never actually saw anything. We chalked it up to nighttime noises on a farm and dropped it. But, then the night of Halloween we decided to dress up as Pumpkin heads and scare the trick or treaters. We hid in the bushes outside Grammy and Grampa's house. As the little kids started to approach we'd jump out and they'd scream. Grammy finally had enough of our shenaigans and told us to scram or she'd put us to work handing out candy. We started to walk around the neighborhood as it was growing dark and we wanted to go to the haunted house a few blocks over."

As he told the story, I watched Melanie, her eyes never left her dad's face. She was completely enraptured with him to the point that she wasn't even helping with the pumpkin carving.

"Melanie, are you going to help your dad or not?" I teased her and she shook her head like she was coming out of a daze.

"What? Oh yeah, sorry Dad." She said as she continued scooping the guts out of the third pumpkin.

"Well, we started to notice that all the kids were running and screaming down the street dropping candy along the way. So we turned around to go back in the direction that they were all running from. Then, we saw them...three giant pumpkins, with scary faces, similar to what we're carving here, scooting down the street making mysterious noises." He paused and took in Melanie's awed expression before he quickly glanced at me and winked.

"The pumpkins were glowing green on the inside and kept coming towards us. Needless to say me, Jasper and Emmett were actually scared so we started picking up the candy to throw at them. But, they ate the candy that we threw at them, which only made them grow larger. We took off running back towards our house to get some weapons. Emmett had the bright idea to get sling shots and air guns to shoot at them. We started to fill our pockets with candy, as much as we could get our hands on." Edward was getting animated and his excitement in telling the story was seeping through to the rapt attention Melanie had as she was actually half sitting and half standing up in her chair.

"Well, soon all the kids saw what we were doing and joined in our fight to destroy the three unruly pumpkins. We pelted them over and over and they grew larger and larger, still glowing green. Someone must have called the police or the army because suddenly there were helicopters and choppers in the sky and they started to dump sugar on the enormous pumpkins. The sugar caused them to all form into one single shape and they blew up, spewing slimy green goo all over everything and everyone." He paused and took a sip of water.

"The goo started to make all the plants and trees in the neighborhood grow so the army went up and down the streets spraying everything with sugar. But, they missed our backyard. So that night when we were all in bed, we were all glowing green, kind of like the incredible hulk. Well, your Uncle Emmett started to scream so Jasper and I took off running to his room where we found our pumpkin heads from our costumes attacking him."

Melanie gasped.

"Me and Jazz picked up the baseball bat and hockey stick and started to beat them off him. Em was screaming like a little girl, 'get them off'...and we tried to but all of the sudden your grampy came running into the room screaming 'get out of the way boys' and stabbed them with a special knife that he also kept hidden from us."

Melanie was completely standing now and Edward was acting out the motions of stabbing the pumpkins.

"He finally killed them all and Emmett was saved. We found out later that some chemicals were retrieved from the destroyed pumpkins and it was full of all these weird things that the army couldn't identify."

"What happened to Uncle Emmett?" Melanie asked.

"Oh, there are times when he gets mad or upset, he actually turns green and glows. But, don't ever ask him to eat pumpkin pie, 'cause he hates pumpkins now." Edward said as he had finished the last carving.

"Oh, so that's why Jack and Lilly wanted to come help us. Uncle Emmett wouldn't let them buy pumpkins because he was scared of them." Our child was extremely bright and I definitely could not wait to see the expression Emmett had when she saw him next.

He was going to kill Edward for telling her that story.

"Dinner's ready." I announced as they both washed their hands and came to sit at the bar where I had everything laid out.

"Dad, do you still glow green?" Melanie asked.

I laughed out loud, because when it comes to me and his daughter, he is full of green where other men in our lives are concerned.

"Sometimes, but it's nothing like Uncle Emmett." He teased her.

And I knew, I just knew that she'd be sleeping in our bed tonight.

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**


	21. Day 25

Title: Saving Bella by Lost Twi Sisters.

Rated M

Pairing Bella /Edward

Word count 5517

Picture prompt # October 25

Summary Sixteen year old Bella, chained to the wall and left for dead. There's no hope of someone finding her, until a certain bronze haired guy comes to the rescue. But how did he find her? And why was she chained and left to die? Discover this and much more.

Disclaimer Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.

My name was Isabella Swan, but that was then; now I have no identity anymore. I'm locked away in this obscured place. My mother and her husband left me here.

I don't know why they left me here.

I only know that they haven't been back in a while.

I wish to die, but death doesn't come.

When I sleep the nightmares come, and I always wake up screaming for someone to help me.

But alas, no one comes.

I am nothing. No one hears, no one comes to my rescue.

I pull at the chains that bind me until they make my wrists bleed.

Perhaps death would be better.

I'm cold, hungry and most of all thirsty.

My clothes are soiled. I'm dirty, my hair is matted to my head, and I'm so tired.

There are creepy crawlies down here. I never see them but I can hear them.

Hours turn into days, weeks even. I wonder long I have been down here.

My own mother left me here…

I can hardly keep my eyes open.

I remember the sun and how it felt on my body.

It's so dark here, even in the daytime.

I am alone.

My father, Charlie, was always there to protect me from her.

Now he's gone.

I see him down here sometimes and he looks so sad.

I believe that I must be dying... I see dead people and they talk to me.

I see my Grandma Swan. She tells me to hold on and that help is coming soon.

I laugh... who's going to help me?

No one knows I'm down how could anyone find me?

Grandma Swan is sitting next to me now. I can feel her patting my head as I lean onto my knees.

It's so cold. I want to feel warmth again.

My thoughts drift toward food. I'm so hungry. I'd love to have some soup. Even water with bread would be welcomed.

I heard the sound of metal being torn apart and I bolt upright. It's a horrible sound…

Who or what could pull apart metal bars?

I can't bring myself to care anymore.

I don't care.

At least I'd be free from this pain, this unforgiving cold, this excruciating hunger.

I close my eyes and wait for something, anything. I wait for anyone to end this existence I have.

But I feel nothing except cold hands on my wrists.

I look up to see a man. I can't tell what he looks like, but he easily breaks the chains and pulls them from my wrists.

He lifts me up and carries me.

I really didn't care where I was being taken. I didn't even utter a word. I just didn't have the strength to say anything.

The man whispers, "I've got you now. You'll be safe."

I nod as sleep over took me.

Sometime later I awaken in a bed somewhere.

Where am I? Am I dead?

I look up and there are four pairs of eyes looking down at me.

They are odd colored eyes, gold actually. Who has gold eyes?

I must me dead.

"No you're not dead," a tiny pixie girl said moving to my side. "I'm Alice, we are going to be great friends."

I just stared up at them.

I wasn't sure what to say and I don't think they did either.

I had a million questions running through my head.

Where was I? Who are these people? Why am I here? And most importantly, what are they going to do to me?

"I know that you have a lot of questions you want to ask but I'm going to try and answer them before you ask them," another man said.

I look over in the direction of the voice and see the most gorgeous guy that I have ever seen.

He was at least 6'2" with bronze sex hair and the most perfectly sculpted body that I have ever laid eyes on.

The only thing that got to me was their gold eyes. I have never seen anything like that before.

Before I could say a word I hear another man's voice.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen and this here is my family. My son Edward found you and brought you here for me to look you over. I'm a doctor. Other than you being hungry and dehydrated you are fine. Can you tell us your name?"

I just look around the room. I'm still not 100% sure that I could trust them.

"You can trust us," the pixie girl, Alice, promised. "We won't hurt you."

I just look at her with wide eyes. How in the hell did she know what I was thinking?

"My name is Isabella Swan but everybody calls me Bella."

"Okay, Bella dear I'm Esme. I fixed you some food and you need to eat. We are going to let you get some rest but if you need anything please just yell."

"Thank you," I said looking at her.

They all started to leave the room, the last one being Edward. I didn't want to be alone; I hated it

"Please stay," I whisper.

He turns and looks at me, then walks back to the chair by the bed.

He sits down and watches me as I eat.

"How old are you?" I asked him.

He looks at me for a moment. I could tell that he was thinking about something.

"I'm seventeen."

"Bella how old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

Once I answered how old I was that was the end of the conversation. He just sat there while I finished eating.

There are all kinds of questions that I wanted to ask but I was not sure how to ask them.

I felt my eyes getting heavy and knew before long I would be sleeping but I had to ask this one question.

"Edward how does your family know what I'm thinking before I even ask?"

He looks at me, and before he could answered I drifted off to sleep.

I wake up the next morning to voices inside the room, so I laid there pretending to be asleep.

"Alice, I don't think that is a good idea," Edward whispered.

"I've seen it in my vision. It will happen, trust me. When it does, don't run from it. She already feels something for you, it's just a matter of time."

"I think you're wrong, but it doesn't matter I will … never mind.. I think she's waking up."

I stretch and yawn. "Morning," I mumble looking over at them, taking in their perfect appearance. Not a single hair out of place, with a slightly darker shade of golden eyes today.

"Morning Bella," Alice says as she sits on the edge of the bed. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, you?"

"Wonderful," she smirked at me.

I think I am missing some part of a joke. I got out of the bed and went toward the bathroom.

As the days went by, I got stronger. My health improved and I'd always go out for walks with either Edward or Alice by my side.

It was like they thought I'd run away. But I liked being there with them. I felt safe and if I admitted the truth, I was falling for Edward. Even though I'm sure he didn't look at me that way, I did see him looking me over a few times. I wish I could read his mind.

Sometimes I did get to be alone in the back yard, but I could feel their eyes watching me.

I knew that they were different; I was trying to put the pieces together.

They never ate, and they always seemed to know what I was thinking. Their hands were ice-cold, and each of them had the same eye color, which sometimes darken to nearly black.

Maybe I should ask them. The least they could do is lie to me. I get this feeling that they would tell me the truth if I asked.

I was sitting in the hammock when Edward walked outside towards me. He stood right next to me and looked like he wanted to say something but remained quiet.

I guess now would be a good time to ask the question.

"Um Edward can I ask you something?"

He just nodded his head yes.

"I know that your family is different. I mean your eyes are golden, your body temperature is cold and I feel like you can read my mind. Like you all can answer my questions before I ask?"

"May I sit by you Bella?"

I nodded my head and watch as he sits by me.

EPOV

I sat beside her and I knew that I needed to answer her questions but I was not sure how to approach the situation. I mean, I knew that she did in fact know that my family is different but she could be put in danger if I told her the truth.

I felt the hammock move. I looked up and Bella stood before me and then turned to walk away. She was thinking that since I would not answer her question tshe would go to one of my family members for the answers.

I grabbed her hand before she could even get a foot away.

"Bella I wish I could tell you but I can't. If you knew it could put you in danger. I care about you too much to let that happen. Yes, my family and I are different. I can't chance your life to tell you. Please understand?"

She just looked at me.

"Edward, you don't think I could handle the truth or is this your way of saying that you all don't want anything to do with me now that I'm better. If that's the case I will find somewhere else to go."

"No Bella! We want you here. Didn't you just hear me say that I care about you? I just don't want to put you in danger. My family loves having you here. I can tell that you did not have a good last few months and I care about what happens to you. I have never felt like this before."

"Really? Because I was always told that if you cared for someone that you are honest to that person. If you care that much you would answer by damn questions. To be honest with you Edward, I feel safe here with your family but I feel the most safe when I'm with you. I just want to know the truth."

As I listened to her tell me that she felt the safest with me it made me feel even shittier. How in the hell was I supposed to keep her safe and care about her at the same time?

In that moment Alice's vision played in my head.

I was telling Bella about us. The vision showed that Bella was very happy. In the next vision Alice shared with me I was holding Bella in my arms and she was going through the change. I smiled at that. Maybe I could tell Bella the truth and still protect her by changing her.

"Bella come with me. Let's go inside so we can talk with the whole family."

I reached out for her hand and she all but took it. It felt so right to be holding her hand. As we walked up to the house, she snuggled into my side.

I could feel her pulse beating rapidly, and it reminded me of a hummingbird's fluttering wings. I leaned down close to her ear, and whispered to her, "Bella, no one is going to hurt you. You're safe."

She just nods at me as I reach for the doorknob.

I knew that the rest of the family would be waiting in the living room. We walk over to the couch and I sit down and pull Bella next to me.

I watch as Carlisle walks over and sits down in front of Bella.

"Bella honey I know that you have questions and I'm going to answer them but please let me finish talking before you say anything."

"I will let you talk Carlisle."

I watch as Carlisle tells Bella what we are and she never once looked scared. She actually had a smile on her face!

When Carlisle stops speaking Bella turns to me.

"Carlisle said that some of you have special talents. Do you have one Edward?"

"Yes, I can read peoples' minds, Alice can see the future and Jasper can influence peoples' moods. Like if you are nervous he can send you a wave of calm."

"So not all of you have something special?"

This time Esme spoke.

"Sweet girl not all of us have special abilities but we all have brought something from our human life with us. I have the motherly love, Carlisle has compassion for helping people, Emmett has the muscular appearance but at heart he is a big kid and Rosalie has her beauty in addition to her sense of style".

I watched as Bella took all this in but not once did she come off like she was going to run screaming.

Bella looked as if she wanted to say something, but she just dropped her gaze to her hands that were folded in her lap.

"Bella, what were you wanting to say?" I ask as I take one of her hands in mine.

I could tell how my touch affected her by the increase in her heart rate.

"I was just going to tell you about my story, but I don't think you want to hear it," she said as she looked down.

"We would," I said as I slipped my finger under her chin and lifted her head up so I could see her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because I care Bella, we all do. We want to know why you were chained up in that basement and by who," I said. I could feel the anger rising up in me, and then I felt a wave of calmness rush over me. I knew Jasper was using his power to calm me down.

Bella cleared her throat and looked over at Alice, who appeared to be having a silent conversation with her. Alice nodded and Bella began her story.

"My story actually begins when I was little. I could see things that weren't there. I would have conversations with people who passed on, people I didn't know. I would tell my mom that I could see people who died and she'd tell me I was making stuff up. But as I got older and the visions got even stronger, I could actually tell her things that would happen before they actually did."

She paused, and then continued.

"One night, when I was fifteen, I told her that my father was dead. I told her that he was on a routine traffic stop in Forks, and that the man he pulled over shot him for no reason. My mother turned to me, and slapped me across the face. I told her that I wished it were she that was gone and not my daddy. I told her that I would leave and never come back. Phil, my mom's husband, came home and my mom told him what I said and he told her that I needed to be committed. I was a danger to myself. But later that evening the police came to our door and wanted to speak to my mom and I. I refused to come down, since I already knew what happened. My mother flipped out on them, telling the police that I knew all about it and that I must have sent them to tell them that. She thought I was pulling a prank on her".

Bella stopped and looked at each one of us. I knew she knew we had questions.

"You can ask me anything you want," she said.

"You can see things?" I asked.

"Yes, mostly things that would happen, and I can hear things also. Like before with Alice, I was conversing with her. I can also block people from hearing my thoughts or knowing about my gifts as I have done with you. I didn't want any of you to know until I knew I could trust you."

"How did Alice know then?" I asked a little bit angry.

"I didn't tell her, Edward. When I went for a walk in the woods, I let my guard down and didn't keep my shield up and Alice saw everything. When I walked back up to the house she was waiting and asked me about my ability. I told her and I swore her to secrecy until the time was right."

"Oh, go on. How did you end up in that basement?" I really wanted to know who would put her down there to die and for what reason.

"Ok, I just turned sixteen and I told my mom that she and Phil shouldn't go out of town, that they should just stay home with me. I told her that if she left, that she would never come home. She didn't believe me, and she laughed at me. Phil said that I was stupid and that I couldn't know anything, even though I was right about my father. They said that I must have heard it on the police radio and that's how I knew about my dad. So they decided that the only way to prevent me from making something happen to them was to chain me up in the basement."

She looked around at each of us before continuing.

"I struggled with them as the dragged me downstairs. I kicked, screamed and pleaded for them not to leave me there. Phil was so mean, he pushed me and I knocked my head on the wall while my mom just laughed. How can a mother be that way towards their own child?" Her tears start to fall then and Esme moves next to her and wraps her arms around Bella.

Bella cried as she went on.

"My mom said that since all I ever talked about was ghosts and seeing things that weren't there, that I wouldn't care if I was locked in the darkness. They chained me to the wall on the day after my sixteenth birthday. I was there for a long time and I just wanted to die. I prayed for it even. I talked to my dad, and my grandma, she's the one who told me to hang on and that help was coming. I didn't believe her. I laughed at her, but then you came Edward. And that's it."

"Wait, what happened to your mother and Phil?" Emmett asked.

"They are both dead, just as I said would happen. Do you remember that big accident on highway 101 about a month ago?"

"Yeah, Carlisle was there that night to try to help the victims," Emmett replied.

"They were in the fifth car of that pile up. My mother was thrown from the car and Phil was decapitated on impact with the semi-truck. I tried to warn them but they thought I was crazy. They never believed in the ability I had. So that's it, my whole story."

I just looked at her in amazement, thinking that she can't possibly hear my thoughts.

"Yes, Edward I can hear your thoughts."

Damn, that is so not good, I thought as she smirked at me.

"I knew that Bella couldn't get out of there without my help, I picked up on her visions and sent you to her house. I knew she didn't have much time left. I didn't know that she could see things until a few weeks ago like she said. I didn't want to tell you until she wanted you to know," Alice said.

"Carlisle, if Eddie here made her into one of us, what would her abilities be?" Emmett asked.

"Well, since her powers are already strong, they would be triple what they are now," he said as Emmett slumped back in his chair.

We all chuckled at his reaction.

Wait, me change her? I don't think I'd have the strength to do it.

"Why do you feel like you don't have the strength Edward?"

"You see your blood calls to me and I'm scared that if I change you that I won't be able to stop once I start. You are my singer."

"What do you mean I'm your singer?"

"Each one of us has a particular type and that one person is someone that is hard for us to resist. Kinda like an alcoholic, they try to resist a drink, but then fall off the wagon and have one drink, but then one turns into two, then three... and so on. It's the same with the singer, their blood calls to the one and it's hard for them to stop," Carlisle spoke up.

After everything was out in the open I could tell that Bella was exhausted.

"Love I think it's time to get you to bed. You are so exhausted."

"Okay," her voice came out in a whisper.

I picked her up bridal style and carried her to her room. I laid her down and went to walk out.

"Edward would you please stay with me tonight?"

How in the hell could I say no to that?

I sat down next to her and in that moment I was filled with her thoughts.

She was thinking anything from the way she cared for our family, to being scared of getting hurt by me or even the family and she was thinking about how nobody actually cared about her before I found her in the basement. She let me know that she was falling in love with me and that she wanted to become like us.

I just sat there and thought about everything she let me in on. She wanted to be one of us and she was starting to fall in love with me. I was truly blessed that she felt the same way about me as I felt about her. She wanted to become one of us and the only thing left was to find out when she wanted to be changed.

The next few months went by and all the details were figured out concerning how Bella was going to be changed.

The day had come and she was nervous that once I changed her that I would not want her anymore for the fact that she would not have blood running through her veins.

"Bella please stop thinking that I could not want you after this. You may not have blood anymore but you will always be my Bella, just more durable."

Over the past few months we have gotten closer, we shared many kisses and touching each other but we have not made love. That would happen soon enough.

Bella had decided that she wanted to be changed as we are making love for the first time. She feels that if she is enjoying us making love that she will not feel the venom as much going through her body. I hope that she was right because I have been through it and it hurts like hell.

In just a few hours it would be happening. Everybody but Carlisle was leaving the house to hunt. He thought that it would be best to be there in case something went wrong.

Bella agreed but was also somewhat embarrassed about it at the same time. She didn't want him to hear us making love.

"Edward are you sure that Carlisle is not going to say anything or be upset about the way I would like to be changed?"

"No sweetheart he will not. He knows that this is how you have chosen to be changed and he respects that. Trust me when I say this, I have had to listen to my whole family for decades as they made love. I think he can handle it for awhile."

She just nods her head.

We had about an hour before things too place. I was a little nervous myself due to the fact that I would have to make sure that I stopped. I was scared that I would not be able to.

I watched as Bella paced back and forth as our family left. She was not really thinking much of anything. I'm pretty sure that she had me blocked. I think she didn't want me to worry about anything.

I just kept telling myself that I loved her and that I would do anything to have forever with her.

Finally it was time. Bella had asked me to give her a few minutes, as she wanted to change. That was fine by me because it would give me time to get striped down to my boxer briefs. I wanted this to go as smoothly as possible for the both of us.

"Edward I will be downstairs in my office if you need me."

"Thank you Carlisle. I will let you know once it's done."

With that said Bella opened the bathroom door and walked into the bedroom. OMG did she look like heaven!

She had on dark blue baby doll lingerie with g-string panties on. The lingerie did not leave much to imagine. I could see her nipples harden and her body was to die for.

I felt myself grow even harder than I already was.

"Eddie do you see something that you like?"

I was in front of her in no time.

"As a matter of fact I do. You look exquisite in that Bella. You have a body that is to die for."

"So do you Mr. Cullen."

She opened her mind to me. She wanted this as much as I did. She showed me how she wanted me to make love to her. With this being our first time I knew that I was going to hurt her. I would go slow and make sure that I would not hurt her too bad.

I pull her to me. I needed my lips on her. I could not take it any longer.

I crush my lips to hers and pull her as close as possible to me. I knew that she could feel my cock but at this point I did not care.

She pulled my hair and moaned into the kiss.

"Please Edward."

I pick her up and let her wrap her legs around my waist. She starts to grind into me and it was my turn to moan.

I walk us to the bed never breaking our kiss. I could smell her juices pouring out of her. I had to taste her.

I placed her on the bed, and she laid down asI pulled her to the edge of the bed. I slowly pulled her panties down her body. I kissed down her body as I freed her of her panties. She would let a moan out every time I kissed a different place on her body.

Once I had them off I kiss my way back up her body and stop right at her center.

I look up at her from between her legs at the same time I took my tongue and licked up her folds. She moaned and pushed herself into my mouth.

She tasted sweeter than honey and I could feast on her all day. I've never tasted anything like her.

I pushed one finger into her and I bit down on her nub. I felt her walls tighten. I knew that she was getting close. I inserted another finger and hit her g-spot and she shook with her orgasm.

"Oh god Edwarddd don't stop. Feels go...oodd."

I licked everything she gave me.

Once her breathing came back to normal I crawled back up her body. I looked into her eyes.

"Bella, I love you."

"Love you too Edward."

She used her feet to pull my boxer briefs down until she could not reach any furtther.

"Edward please make love to me. I want you so badly."

With that I took her hand in mine and placed them on both sides of her head.

"Bella I know this is going to hurt so please squeeze my hands as much as you want to and remember that I love you."

With that being said I pushed into her slowly. I watched her face as I did so.

Her mind went blank. She was blocking me from reading her mind. She did not want me to know what the pain was like.

She had a smile on her face. I knew that she was doing this for my sake.

I reached her barrier and push through it as a small scream escaped her lips. She tried to keep me from hearing but I did. I stayed still, letting her adjust to my size. After a few minutes she moved against me letting me know that is was okay to move.

It felt like heaven being inside her. She was so tight and even though I couldn't feel the heat of her I could feel the wetness of her on my cock. She felt so good.

She wrapped her legs around me and pulled me down to her.

"I love you Edward."

I picked up my speed and she moaned as I did that. I would get faster and a little bit harder but still gentle enough to be making love to her.

She would rub her hands down my chest and place her hands where we are connected.

She opened her index and middle finger to a "V" and wrapped them around my cock.

My god did that feel gooooood! Once she did that I knew that I would not last much longer.

I felt her walls start to tighten and I knew that it was time.

It was time for me to change her. This is what she wanted.

I picked up my pace.

"Love, just remember that I love you."

She looked into my eyes, "I love you too Edward."

With that I placed my lips against her neck and gently sucked there.

I knew it would cause her pain, and I prayed that the pleasure that she was feeling would be enough to mask the pain.

She pulled my face up to hers.

"This is what I want, Edward. I want forever with you."

I nodded and moved back to her neck.

I kissed around her neck until I reached her sweet spot. I kissed it and then slowly I bit down savoring the taste of her blood. It was like nothing I've ever tasted. I lapped it up and I had to stop myself. I knew that I had to release my venom into her body. Once I was done I licked over the bite, sealing it so that the venom could do its work of changing my Bella.

I stayed inside her moving in and out of her hoping that it would take her mind off the hurting.

I felt her body start to move around and I knew that the change was starting.

I also knew that there was nothing that would help with the pain.

I slowly pulled out of her and pulled us up on the bed and just held her.

Once I covered us I said, "Carlisle it's done."

Reading his thoughts he said, "Edward I knew that you could do it son. I'm so proud of you."

As the days went on each of the family members came and checked on us. I held her in my arms, trying to read her mind as to why she was not screaming through the pain. But the only thing in her mind was her thoughts of us making love. It was as if she had it on replay, over and over again I watched us making love. Maybe that is how she kept the pain out.

I knew that I needed to go hunt but I was waiting on Bella to wake up. I wanted to hunt with her.

Finally on day three Alice came into the room and said that she would be waking up at any minute now.

The rest of the family piled into my room. We all just wanted Bella to wake up.

A moment later Bella started to stir in my arms. I pulled her closer to me.

"Edward," I heard my angel say.

"Yes love?"

"I love you."

I could not believe that she was not jumping up with her throat burning, instead of confessing her love to me!

I look into her eyes and say, "I love you to Bella." I crush my lips to hers. I knew now that I did not have to worry about hurting her. She was just as strong as me.

My family was just as happy as I was that she was fine and that she would be with us for the rest of eternity.


	22. Day 26

31 Days of Halloween

Day 26

~By: Random girl and Sara T.~

"Not. Gonna. Happen." I made sure to over-exaggerate each word as I formed my lips around each sound, hoping to get my point across.

"Come on Bella, don't be such a pussy." Rose said with an eye roll. I was a little disappointed that she was so on board with this idea. I thought for sure if anyone would be on my side, it would be little Miss Princess but no, she apparently thought this was a fantastic idea.

"I don't care," I said with a shrug of indifference. "All of you, go ahead! Have the time of your life, but me? No way is my ass going to the graveyard with you idiots on Halloween night to play some witchcraft game." Like I had just said . . . not gonna happen.

It was official – my friends had lost their fucking minds. They were currently trying to talk me into a night of horror, which included a scary movie marathon before capping the night by going to the cemetery at midnight on Halloween night to play with a Ouija board. Yeah, I'm not down for any of that.

"What's wrong?" Is little Bewwa-Wewwa scawed?" Emmett teased while tugging one the end of my hair, obviously trying to annoy me further.

"What? Me? Scared?" I squinted my eyes and scrunched my nose to give him a crazy look as I thought about disputing his accusation. But then I decided there was no point. "Yes, yes I am scared. Call me a pansy, a pussy, a fraidy cat, a fucking CHICKEN . . . whatever you want, but I'm still not going." I said, flipping my hair, hoping if I admitted it, then they would drop the subject and we could agree to do something else . . . like dress up as clowns and hand out candy to small children.

"Jesus, Bella, stop being such a drama queen." Alice sighed, clearly taking over the drama queen role she had just accused me of. "What is it that you think is going to happen? It's not like the dead are going to rise up out of their coffins just because we are using a Ouija board. It's a game; people play it all the time. So get over your irrational fears, 'cause like it or not, you are going with us!" She demanded, I suppose thinking that I would suddenly change my mind just because she said so. Obviously she didn't know me as well as she thought she did.

I was just about to tell her as much, but in a snarkier, bitchier way, of course, when Edward spoke. At first I thought the Heavens had opened up and the Angles were singing me a sonnet, but then I realized it was just his sweet magical voice.

"You don't need to be scared, Bella; I'll be there to protect you from all the zombies and ghosts that might try to attack you." He added a wink and a slight head nod, and once I wiped the drool from my chin I batted my eye lashes and nodded, possibly a little too eagerly back, accepting his invitation as my protector.

Alice laughed breaking me out of my daydream, "Who knew all it would take was a cute guy asking, to get you to change your mind."

I shot her a dirty look, just to let her know I would be telling her off about that little comment later.

Edward flashed his crooked smile at her and I wanted to rip her head off. That was my smile, reserved only for me. He wasn't allowed to use it on anyone else; in fact, I think it should be illegal.

Edward was new to our group. The rest of us – Rose, Alice, Emmett, Jasper and I – have been friends since diapers. It was inevitable really, since we grew up on the same street, had play dates together, and have attended the same school our entire lives. Edward just moved to our street over the summer, and we were all pretty thrilled that he did. Mostly because his parents bought the old Jones place, where Victoria used to reside. Although she grew up alongside us, she was never in our inner circle. She peed her pants until she was ten, and picked her nose on a regular basis, which is how she so affectionately became known as Icky Vicki. So yeah we were pretty happy when a new family bought her house, allowing her parents to buy a house in the city. I was even more excited when I saw the occupants of the house. Edward Cullen. I have had a crush on him since day one, and although I have convinced myself his feelings are mutual, he has yet to act on them. Not because of any deterrent from my end, I can assure you of that. I have dropped several subtle hints, letting him know that I was ready and willing to be his girlfriend at a moment's notice, and although he flirts with me on a daily basis, he has yet to make us official.

So the fact that he willingly offered to protect me from the ghost and goblins lurking in our cemetery . . . was more than enough to convince me to go along with this crazy idea. I have never been one to like the spooky, scary stuff. I even refuse to watch scary movies most of the time, but any chance I may have to be protected by his strong, muscular arms, and bury myself in his broad chest was well worth the price of being scared to death.

Usually on Halloween I go trick-or-treating with my little brother Seth for a while then I trade off with my parents and hand out candy to the local kids while they take over little brother duty. Then after 'lights out', which is eight o'clock in our neighborhood, I meet up with my girls and we go to Tyler's annual Halloween party. But this year is different. My brother, who is now eleven feels that he is too old for trick-or-treating, so he has offered up his services to hand out the candy. My thoughts are, this way he won't get picked on for doing the actual trick-or-treating by his friends, but he will still be able to dress up, with the presumption of scaring the little kids, and he will still get to eat all the candy he wants. Not a bad idea, in my opinion, I mean he did learn a thing or two from me after all.

Also this year there will be no hokey Halloween party at Tyler's. Tyler had gotten caught in his back yard tree house with Tanya, doing not very gentlemanly things to her. His mother's words exactly. So he was grounded for the next two months. No going out, no girls, and obviously no parties.

So this dilemma left my friends and me trying to come up with suitable ideas of how to spend our Halloween night. Emmett had been the one to suggest the scary movie marathon and Rose offered to host it at her house because she didn't have any younger siblings and her parents would be going out for the 'adult Halloween party' hosted by Jasper's parents.

Edward was the one who suggested adding in the grave yard tour at midnight and it had been Alice's great idea to pick up an Ouija board and play it at the cemetery. I was starting to really not like my group of friends anymore.

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch so I gathered my books as I not very enthusiastically nodded, affirming my torture by agreeing to meet at Rose's Halloween night at six to begin our movie marathon.

Halloween night came way too early for my liking. Everyone else was quite eager for our night of horror to begin, but me? I was trying desperately to think of ways to get out of it. Having no such luck I sucked it up, put on my big girl panties, and made sure I was at Rose's house at six o'clock on the dot to begin our movie marathon. The guys had been in charge of the movie picks for the night, and so our night began with 'Nightmare on Elm Street'. There is truly nothing like Freddie Krueger to get you in the Halloween spirit. I made sure to sit right beside Edward on the floor, so that each and every scary part that came on, I could bury my face in his chest. He eventually got the hint that this was going to happen quite regularly so he got himself comfortable and wrapped his arm around me, allowing me easier access to his chest. Yep, this is the good life.

At the end of the first movie I got up to use the bathroom and help Rose make some popcorn. When we returned the guys had already started the second movie which was with Stephen King's 'It'. Let's just say this movie made me glad we didn't use my idea of dressing like clowns. I will honestly never be able to look at them the same way. Ever. Again. While I did not like this movie, not at all, I was pleasantly surprised when Edward reached behind him to grab the blanket off the couch and cover us both with it, and even more thrilled when he nuzzled my hair with his nose and whispered in my ear that he didn't want me getting cold. Was this small action worth watching a clown kill people for two hours? In my humble opinion? Hells yes.

For the finale they guys chose to watch 'Pet Cemetery,' the irony was not lost on me. This movie was just down right gruesome and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to watch this. About half way through I sat up a little to see if the others were enjoying the movie, hoping they weren't so I could suggest finding another. To my dismay Rose and Emmett were nowhere to be found. Obviously they had grown tired of the slaughter and decided to move the party to her room. Alice and Jasper were covered in a blanket much the same as the one Edward and I were sharing, only theirs was covering their entire body, and it was moving quite vigorously. I don't even want to guess at what they were up to.

I softly elbowed Edward and pointed in their direction. He chuckled softly and pulled me back to his nook, wrapping his arm tightly around me.

"This blows." I whispered to him, trying not to disturb Alice and Jasper.

"You want to get some fresh air?" he offered. I hated to move out of the warmth and safety of his embrace, but I needed to get away from the movie for a while so I agreed.

We quickly but quietly made our way outside to sit on the swing on Rose's back porch. The night was cool and crisp making me want to crawl in his lap to cuddle. I of course controlled myself, and did no such thing, but I was definitely thinking it.

"So, how do you like the movies?" He questioned after a few minutes.

"They suck." I decided to be honest. "I'm really not a scary movie kind of girl. I'm more of a Notebook, or Steel Magnolia's kind of person."

He laughed at my confession before speaking again. "Come on, it can't be that bad. And here I thought I was doing a good job of making you feel safe. You're gonna' make me feel bad." He leaned in closer to my face and I could see the fog his breath was creating as he spoke again. 'Tell me what I can do to make the night better for you, Bella."

I could feel my face flushing. There was that damn flirting again. "I do have to admit, you being here does make this all a little easier to handle." I said leaning a little further into him.

"I do want you to enjoy your night." He said before giving me a lopsided smirk. "Just let me know if there is anything I can do to make it better."

"Well, there is always room for improvement." I told him, while trying to mimic his smirk. It looked so damn sexy on him, I could only hope it looked equally as sexy on me.

"Any ideas?" he asked moving even closer to me.

This was it. This was our moment. We were going to kiss and this was going to be the best night of my life. I let my eyes flutter close as I tilted my head slightly to the left. I could feel the warmth radiate from his body as he inched closer.

And then the damn door flew open as Emmett's loud voice cut through the night air. "There you two are! What the hell are you doing out here?"

Edward immediately moved back as I practically jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice.

"We were just…" Edward began then looked to me to fill in the blank. Thanks for putting me on the spot there buddy I thought as I stumbled over my answer. "We were . . . you know . . . just talking. I needed a break from all the gore, and well he, ya know, offered to…" I trailed off not having a clue as to where I was going with this. "Jesus, Emmett, what's with all the questions? What do you care where we are or what we are doing?" I decided being defensive was my best option here.

"I don't really care." He shrugged, showing that he really didn't, making me feel like a big idiot. "I was just looking for you guys to let you know that everyone is ready to go to the graveyard. So uh….when you're done doing whatever it is that you're doing come find us." He then turned and walked back in the house, dropping the subject.

Edward and I looked at each other both began laughing. "Well that was awkward." He said between chuckles.

"Yeah it kinda was." I agreed whole-heartedly. "I guess we should . . . you know." I pointed my thumb over my shoulder towards the door indicating we should go, I just couldn't actually say the words because I so didn't want to give up my free time with Edward. I wanted to stay out here on this swing with him and give him another opportunity to kiss me. My God, did I want him to kiss me.

"Yeah, we should go." He agreed standing up then holding out his hand to help me up off the swing.

The ride to the cemetery isn't what I would call pleasant in the least. We all piled into Emmett's jeep, so we could ride together, and somehow in the fifteen minute car ride everyone managed to tell a scary story of someone who knew someone who knew someone that was murdered at the very graveyard that we were going to. So needless to say by the time Emmett parked on the street outside the cemetery, I was scared shitless.

We all climbed out the jeep, and although none of them would admit to being scared, they sure did stay close together.

The walk through the grave yard was eerie. It was pitch black, the only light coming from the moon, which was partially coved by the clouds. It was freezing cold, thanks to the constant breeze. Every time the wind would blow causing the trees and bushes to rustle. my skin would crawl. I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder, just to make sure no one was following us. It felt as though we were being followed, though logically I knew that were weren't. My senses, however, were on high alert.

I made sure to stay close to Edward, just in case I needed him to beat down any zombies for me. Once we made it to about the middle of the cemetery Alice deemed it suitable to set up. Rose laid out a blanket while I set out candles, just to provide us with a little more light. Alice set up the Ouija board in the center of the blanket while we all sat in a perfect circle around it.

"Who's going first?" Alice asked looking around the group. As much of a good idea as everyone had thought this was, no one seemed to want to step up and be the first to go. "Come on guys," Alice whined. "Someone has to go first to get the ball rolling."

Everyone was silent for what felt like forever when finally Emmett huffed and sat forward. "Alright you pussies, I'll go first."

Emmett closed his eyes in concentration for a moment before his face lit up and he leaned over the board placing his hand on the planchett and asking in a very deep voice, "Who at our school has genital warts?" There were a few chuckles but we all watched the wooden piece in fascination as it moved around the board landing on the letters BEN.

"You moved it on your own." Jasper accused pointing a finger in Emmett's direction.

"Did not!" Emmett was quick to counter. "If you don't believe me then you try it."

"Fine, I will." Jasper accepted the challenge, moving a little closer to the board. It didn't take him as long to think of his question as he quickly placed his hand on the planchett and asked, "Who in the group watches gay porn?" Again there were a few snickers but we all watched closely as the wooden piece moved over the board spelling out ROSE.

We all turned wide eyed to her, waiting on an explanation "It wasn't by choice!" she quickly let us know. "Emmett made me watch it last week!"

"So it's true?" Alice asked, and then continued before Rose could answer again. "The board knew the correct answer." She said in wonder.

All was quiet once again as the wind whipped sharply around us, creating a ghostly, eerie feeling. "My turn," Alice announced, moving quickly over the board and placing her fingers on the wood piece. "Will I ever get married?" I rolled my eyes at her question. How typical . . .

We all watched silently as the piece floated across the board and landed on NO. "Well obviously this thing is broken," Alice announced, sitting back in her spot. Edward was the only one to chuckle at her disbelief. "I think it's a little more on target than you give it credit for."

Alice arched an eyebrow at him, daring him. "Since you have so much faith in the game, why don't you ask it a question?"

"Fine." Edward shrugged, seeming to think about his next move. "I'll go for an easy one." He said with a full smirk in place. "Will I get to kiss Bella tonight?" He asked just as his fingers landed on the wooden piece, then turned to me and winked. _Fuck__me__sideways,__he__did__NOT__just__say__that._

It quickly moved across the board to YES. "See?" he said with a shrug of his shoulders, giving me a cocky smirk. "Right as usual."

Have I mentioned that I would love to fuck him? Just saying . . .

"That's a stupid question." Rose quickly said. "The game isn't supposed to answer those types of questions. Here let me try." She lifted up off of Emmett's lap and leaned over the board placing her fingers on the board. Taking a deep breath she asked "When am I going to die?" The planchett moved over the board and every one of us stopped cold.

TONIGHT.

I had to be seeing it wrong.

No one moved. No one spoke. We all sat as still as possible holding our breath. "That's . . ." Rose gulped, "kind of freaky." She turned her stare to Alice. "You ask it the same question." She demanded, and there was no room for argument in her voice.

Alice rose to the board and with shaky hands asked the same question in a low voice. The answer . . . was the same as Rose's.

TONIGHT.

"Guy's, I don't like this." I finally spoke up. "I really think we should go back home." I was pleading and by the look on everyone's face, they agreed with me.

"W-wait." Emmett stuttered out, placing his hand on the wooden piece "I have to know what my answer will be. " He says before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath "When will I die?" We waited in fear to see the answer.

TONIGHT.

"I am so out of here!" I said getting on my knees to stand. This was too much for me to handle. I needed the safety of my home now.

"Just one more," Emmett said, not removing his hand.

"No!" I almost screamed, unable to hide the terror in my voice. "I can't take anymore of this!"

I was already halfway to the car when I heard it . . .

"Will we all die together?" He asked, not listening to my plea. I stopped cold. They all watched with baited breath as the wooden piece moved quickly.

I didn't need to see the board. I could see it on their faces.

YES.

Never taking his hand away he asked another question. "W-when? When tonight will we die?"

I crept towards the board. I had to know.

The planchette quickly moved to the N then moved even faster to the O but oh so slowly moved to the W.

We all gasped loudly as the wind blew, causing all of our candles to blow out. The clouds moved, covering our light from the moon. A twig snapped from the distance, causing goose bumps to cover my body and the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end. I immediately reached for Edward, needing his protection now more than ever.

He was gone.

"EDWARD!" I wailed. "Edward, where are you?"

"Bella, come on!" Alice called out somewhere behind me. I turned to see that they were already in the car.

They were leaving me.

They couldn't . . .

"WAIT!"

I couldn't stop screaming.

I ran after the departing car, but it was futile.

I couldn't run fast enough, couldn't scream loud enough . . .

And then . . .

The car had come to a complete stop.

No, something had stopped the car.

Someone . . .

More than one . . .

In a matter of seconds, just as quickly as they had been inside, Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett were out of the car and facing . . .

People?

Three men and a woman, but I wasn't sure because it was so dark.

They surrounded my companions, giving them no possible chance of escaping.

"Leaving so soon?" asked a flawless, smooth, sinister voice that made my blood go cold. Even from where I was standing, I could see my friends violently shaking.

Whoever these people were, they were enjoying the fact that they had their prey trembling. It was obvious by the twisted smiles on their faces.

"You forgot to ask one question," the terrifying voice almost chided.

"Who dies first?"

"Emmett? How about Alice? Perhaps we can start with Bella."

Did they see me?

My legs were shaking so hard that I could barely stand anymore. Before I hit the ground, something solid caught me and covered my mouth before my scream of panic could escape me.

"Bella, shut the fuck up before they hear you!" Edward half whispered, half hissed into my ear. He dragged me into the bushes, not removing his hand.

"You can't make a noise, or they'll find you. Understand?"

I nodded my head, and he slowly took his hand off my mouth.

"They won't see us here," he whispered.

"Edward, I couldn't fi-"

I was cut off by the sudden and unbearable noise that sounded almost nothing like Jasper. He was screaming and it made my skin crawl. Through the bushes, I could only watch.

Everything was happening so quickly and furiously, I saw everything happening in fragments.

Jasper was on the ground, and someone was crouched over him. It looked as if . . .

Was he _biting_Jasper?

Alice and Rosalie were running.

Emmett was taunting one of the bigger people. Whoever this person was, he seemed to like Emmett's attempted threats.

The man's face was in Jasper's neck, and Jasper's frantic fists were trying in vain to fight him off. It was pointless.

Alice and Rosalie were being chased.

Emmett was throwing punches at his opponent.

Jasper's fists were flying slower and slower.

Alice and Rosalie were overtaken.

Emmett threw another punch, and his arm was grabbed midair and snapped like a twig. I could hear the bone break. Emmett fell to the ground in agony.

Jasper wasn't moving anymore.

Alice was sobbing and Rosalie was begging for her life to the man and woman towering over them. It only added to the sick pleasure these two strangers were getting from Alice and Rosalie's fear.

Emmett was trying to shield himself from the relentless beating he was enduring, curling in on himself to protect his ribs from his opponent's kicks.

Rosalie was pulled off the ground by her hair and dangled in the air by the woman. Rosalie fought in vain to get free.

"Such a pretty face," she cooed to Rosalie, as if she were paying compliments to a lifelong friend.

Rosalie spit in her face. The woman's smile made my skin crawl.

"I can do better," she whispered, spitting in Rosalie's eyes. Rosalie was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, clawing at her eyes and screaming.

The man was looking at Alice with an almost confused look.

"Please," she was whimpering. "Please don't, please, please, please!" She was crying so hard that she could barely be understood.

The man didn't have the patience to try to listen to her. Crouching down, he wrapped his massive hands around her tiny throat, cutting off her air. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers, and she choked and coughed and labored for a breath. Just like Jasper, she fought as hard as she could, but she was no match for him. He slammed her head down when her puny fist made purchase with his face. Her choking sounds became less and less, until she was silent and unmoving.

Another piercing cry to match Rosalie's own suddenly filled the air. Emmett's other arm had been broken. His useless arms hung at his sides, so he tried kicking to defend himself. The man grabbed Emmett's leg and snapped it. Emmett almost fainted from the pain.

He never got the chance.

The man wrapped his hands around Emmett's head and twisted it violently. Emmett's body collapsed to the ground in a heap, his head bent at an unnatural angle.

Rosalie was still yelling and clawing at whatever was in her eyes. The woman stood above her, amused by Rosalie's pain.

"YOU BITCH!" Rosalie shrieked. The woman didn't like that. Bending down, she brought her face to Rosalie's neck. If I had thought Rosalie's screaming was bad before, it was nothing on what I was hearing now.

Emmett's killer was now pressing his face into Emmett's neck the same way, and the man that squeezed the life out of my best friend also had his face buried in Alice neck.

I couldn't take this anymore.

"Edward, please get me out of here." I whispered, not masking the tremble in my voice.

"I haven't had my turn yet," he whispered back so quietly I barely heard him.

I froze. "This isn't funny," I hissed.

"Who said I was trying to be funny?"

Now I turned to look at him, and what I saw paralyzed me.

His eyes were black. It was not just his irises, it was even the whites of his eyes.

Full black.

And he was smiling at me.

"no . . . NO!" I fell out of the bushes, crawling backwards on my hands and knees, frantically trying to get away as Edward matched me step for step, still smiling the whole time.

"What's the rush?" That cocky smile, that smile that had once melted me, was now so sinister that I couldn't even conjure up a time that it had any positive effect on me. "I haven't even gotten to kiss you yet."

"Edward, please . . ." I didn't know what else to do but beg. I knew there was no way I could fight him off or run away. I couldn't stop the tears falling down my face.

It was over . . .

"Shhh, don't cry," he soothed while wiping one of my tears away. His other hand wrapped around the back of my head, gripping my hair and pulling on it slightly to give him better access to my neck.

It was over . . .

"I'll make it quick. You won't suffer long." He pulled on my hair even more, exposing even more of my neck for him.

It was over . . .

"My Bella . . ."

It wa-

As soon as his teeth sank into my skin, every other thought I had vanished. All I could focus on was the excruciating pain coursing through my body.

I could feel it in my feet, because I was kicking him.

I could feel it in my fingertips, because I was punching him and clawing at his back and hair as hard as I could.

I felt it in my throat, because he was relentless and he was draining me and I was screaming so hard that it didn't even sound like me.

I knew I was dying. I felt myself getting weaker. I could barely lift my hands to hit him. My breathing was becoming a struggle. My screams were barely whispers. His grip on my hair was loosening, yet he still continued to drain me.

He pulled away and gently laid my head down on the ground. Edward was still holding me, and he was staring into my wide and unblinking eyes. He leaned down and pressed his lips into mine.

I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. I couldn't focus on the irony of this moment, when I had finally gotten the one thing I had been wanting from him. I knew I was slipping away . . .

"Don't tell me you went and got yourself attached to her," a voice behind Edward's shoulder accused. I knew that voice. It was the voice of a woman . . .

The woman that hurt Rose.

She stood over me. I could only stare. Her mouth and chin were covered in blood.

Rose's blood.

"No," Edward said curtly, moving me from his embrace and quickly standing up to get away from me.

"Awwwww, so fucking sweet," her velvet voice cooed, and it was dripping in sarcasm.

"Fuck you," he spit at her with venom in his voice.

My vision was tunneling. I couldn't see him anymore.

"She certainly was a looker, wasn't she?" Rose's killer teased, as if she knew Edward didn't want to hear it.

"Yeah," Edward said sharply. He sounded like he was close to me again, but I could barely hear anything now.

_It's over . . ._

"She was."


	23. Day 27

31 Days of Halloween

Author: CallieWoahNoah

Title: These Laughing Faces

Rated: M

Pairing: Edward and Bella

Word count: 6,126

Picture prompt: #27

Summary: Bella had never been afraid of clowns, but unexpected circumstances may just change that. Will her cocky neighbour help to solve the mystery or will he continue to torment her?

Disclaimer: The Twilight saga and all recognisable characters are the property of SM.

My alarm beeped insistently at me, calling stubbornly for my attention and despite my attempts, I couldn't ignore it. I crawled across my bed, my body flat against the mattress. I felt like one of those army people, but far more sluggish. Every movement seemed like too much and at ridiculous o'clock in the morning, anything was too much effort.

Eventually, my hand connected with the blaring contraption, switching off the irritating sound and allowing me some peace. I sighed, a heavy, I-can't-be-bothered-with-today sigh. My head slumped back against the pillows as I fought to keep my eyes open.

Needless to say, I was unwilling as I dragged myself out of bed, padding groggily down the stairs and to the kitchen until I found the pot of coffee, allowing it to burn my tongue as I gulped desperately at the burning, heavenly liquid. Caffeine was my saviour.

An hour later, I was showered, dressed and somewhat more alert. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, my keys rattled in my hand as I left my house and locked the front door behind me. I reached my car, sliding into the front seat and switching on the engine. I enjoyed the low growl as I idled in my driveway, pushing my bag onto the passenger seat and buckling up. My Aston Martin was my baby and I had worked so hard for it. It was sometimes inappropriate or impractical, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

My cocky, dishevelled and seemingly edible neighbour was sat on his porch steps with a mug cupped in his hands. I was too far away to truly appreciate his long, thin fingers; the ones that put wicked thoughts in my already perverse mind. I pretended not to see him and tried to convince my traitorous eyes not to glance his way as I pulled out of my driveway smoothly, turning up the radio. I pretended I didn't see his smirk as I passed his house. I definitely didn't see that he was only wearing a pair of sleep pants and no top, because if I had noticed, I would have been inclined to ogle him. Which I didn't do. Nuh-uh.

It's a good job our street is straight or my baby would have been saying hello to a street lamp, or something as equally immobile and destructive.

The tinted windows were a god send because had the glorious specimen of a man known I was appreciating his appearance, with drool threatening to spill from my open mouth, his ego would have inflated further. I'm not sure I could have lived with the smart-ass, teasing comments that would ensue. I had enough of those from him on a normal day. His velvet voice made it feel as though we were having sex, fully clothed and a few feet apart. It was sinful. He was effectively having sex with my ears. On more than one occasion I had been forced to stifle moans, feeling it would have been inappropriate and more than a little awkward.

When he was out of sight, I released a breath and a low whistle before returning my full attention to the road and the route that would take me to work.

I knew I would be one of the first into the office, I always was. I had too much work to do and not enough time to do it and I was slightly addicted to my job. It was more of a hobby than a chore and a necessity. I enjoyed it.

All of the lights were out as I scanned my badge and slipped in through the parking garage doors. My footsteps echoed in the stairwell, my heels connecting audibly with each step. I soon reached my floor, easily finding my way along the corridor and into my office. I cringed as the door slammed behind me, a few sheets of paper floating off the filing cabinet which stood beside it. I dropped my bag to the floor beside my office chair, leaning over to switch on my computer. There was a whir as it kicked into gear and I left it to warm up as I retrieved the papers from the floor and returned them to their rightful place.

Suddenly, there was silence. With a curious glance to my computer and a frustrated sigh at the ready, I crossed the room to it once more. I stood before it, realising the machines had switched themselves off and, huffing in annoyance, I pushed my chair out of the way and knelt on the floor, pressing the "on" button once more. When nothing happened, I reached behind the contraption and pushed at the cables, wiggling them until I was sure they were in correctly.

Peeking my head above the desk, I screeched when I saw the monitor, plain as day. There was a clown staring back at me, unmoving. Not your average children's clown but a carnival one. My heart hammered against my rib cage and I jabbed desperately at various buttons. _Was__someone__playing__a__prank__on__me?_

I clambered off the ground, turning my back on the freakish sight as I all but ran to the light switch, illuminating the room.

"_Fuck,_" I muttered, taking deep breaths as I willed my heart to calm down. I crept tentatively back to the computer, giving myself a motivational pep talk the whole way. Closing my eyes, I felt my way in front of the screen, counting down from five to one before opening my eyes and finding the generic company background glaring back at me. My fingers rubbed angrily at my eyes before I slammed a fist on the desk.

"_Fuck,_" I repeated; cursing myself, the world and Halloween.

"Is everything okay?" A quiet voice spoke, making me jump. I laughed at myself a little, earning a concerned frown from my friend.

"Sorry, Alice, it's fine. I guess I'm just tired." I sighed, smiling at her. She stepped further into the room and I saw her hands were occupied with two cups of take out coffee. My smile grew as I approached the offering in her outstretched hand.

"I thought this might cheer you up."

"You have the gift of foresight, then!"

She passed me the cup and I took a small sip, enjoying the warmth spreading through my fingers from the contents.

"Thank you," I hummed, setting it on the desk beside me.

"No problem. So, do you want to talk about it?" She asked, sitting in the plush leather armchair across from me, kicking off her shoes and curling her feet under herself.

"It's nothing, really. I'm just slowly losing my mind." I shrugged with a teasing smile and she rolled her eyes.

"It's okay, Bella, I already know you've lost your mind, you don't have to lie to me."

If I could have reached, I would have smacked her right then. Oh my dearest pixie friend.

"What a relief! Anyway, what are you doing here so early?"

"I thought I'd catch you before the work day began." She explained, tucking some hair behind her ear and revealing the silver ring in the shell of her ear.

"I'm that predictable, huh?" I asked wryly, leaning back in my chair.

"Yes! Maybe one day you will arrive here at a respectable hour." She teased and I shook my head at her.

"You never know, miracles can happen."

"That they can. Now down to business, on today's agenda we are discussing our traditional Halloween film night. Luckily, the big day falls on a Friday this year, which means great things for us!"

"Is that so?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. "And what great things would these be?"

"Sleepovers and alcoholic beverages?" She grinned smugly.

"I see, you do have a point there. So, my place, tomorrow night, seven o'clock?" I suggested, tapping my chin with my proposition.

"Hell yes, this thing is on. I'll bring the drinks, Rose will bring the food and you have the films. It's a date, babycakes." I became absorbed in Alice's enthusiasm, already scanning through my DVD collection for the perfect films to watch.

"I look forward to it." I told her genuinely.

"Before I go, we have one more thing to discuss."

"What's that?" I inquired, assuming that I wouldn't enjoy the direction this conversation was about to take.

"That neighbour of yours."

"What about him?" I grumbled, frowning. If I didn't know better, I would think Alice had a thing for him. He seemed to be her favourite topic of conversation these days, ever since she caught the end of one of our exchanges one Summer's night as she came to drop off a pair of shoes she had borrowed. Apparently the mere fact that I had failed to mention him to her meant that there was something going on between us and she was determined to find out what.

There really was nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Unless you count the dreams. We're not counting those. Just no.

"He's asked you out, right?" I scoffed at her accusation.

"No, he really hasn't. I don't know why you think there's something we're hiding but I assure you, there are no secrets where he's concerned. We're neighbours and that's that." I told her, knowing that it didn't matter what I said, she still wouldn't believe me.

"I don't believe you." She declared, staring me down.

"What's new?"

"Just you wait and see." She responded mysteriously and I rolled my eyes at that. Who wouldn't?

"He's gay, Alice. Okay?"

"He's not!" She gasped, narrowing her eyes at me. I stared right back, not giving in. This was my last attempt to shut her up and if it didn't work, I was doomed for the rest of eternity. That is no exaggeration, ladies and gentlemen.

"_Yes,_" I cried, "_he__is._" I tried to give her my most believable expression and it seemed to work. Her mouth was agape and she went without blinking for at least a minute. I think she was breathing, but it was hard to tell.

"_No_..." I knew she wasn't really contesting my statement, simply expressing her surprise.

"It is what it is." I shrugged. "I think I like him better knowing he bats for the other team." I nodded, backing up my declaration with the motion.

"Wait until Rose hears this!" Alice squeaked, slipping her feet back into her shoes and throwing me a wave as she hurried out of the room. I smiled smugly to myself, allowing myself a few moments to bask in my satisfaction. Now _that_was a job well done.

After my conversation with Alice, I had forgotten all about my frightening experience. The more time that passed, the easier it was to convince myself it was all a trick of the light, or even my sleep-deprived mind.

The office was empty once more as I left that evening, even the cleaning crews had finished, leaving the place spotless once again. I switched off my computer, carefully avoiding looking at the black monitor, silently afraid of what I might see and all the while telling myself I was being stupid. I was, it's true.

I reached around in my bag for my car keys as I approached the doors, eventually looking up and releasing a startled cry at the clown that was once again staring back at me. I spun around, thinking it was a reflection, but there was nothing there. No white face and red nose. There was no longer anything in the window either, other than my own wide, brown eyes looking back at me.

My eyes never left the reflective surface as I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself down. I tried to reassure myself but it wasn't really working. Seeing things once, I could put down to tiredness or something along those lines, seeing the same thing a second time and I was starting to worry I was losing my marbles. With one last look at the window, I tore my gaze away and pushed through the doors into the stairwell. My eyes darted around, seeking out any sign of the image, all the while hoping my searches would come up empty.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little jittery as I drove home, my thoughts plagued with the face. The very same face. When I pulled into my driveway, I held back, remaining in the car for several minutes while I built up the courage to enter my dark and deserted house.

Lights. I'd switch on the lights.

That's exactly what I did. As soon as I pushed open the front door, I reached for the light switch and flicked it on. I did this in every last room of the house, the building becoming a beacon in the cloaked night. No doubt the neighbours would give it a curious glance, perhaps judge my environment-killing ways before pulling their curtains closed and going on with their lives.

I occupied myself with cooking dinner, a simple vegetable risotto with a glass of white wine on the side. Pottering about the kitchen and singing along to the music at full volume, it was easy to leave my troubles to fester at the back of my mind. Clowns? Who said anything about those silly old things? Not I.

With my food gently simmering on the stove, I tied up the garbage sack and lifted it from the bin, carrying it outside and keeping it away from my clothes. The paving stones were cold against my bare feet and I must have looked quite the sight hopping from foot to foot and hissing with each step.

The road was illuminated by headlights as I reached the dustbin and a car pulled into the drive next door. Although I couldn't see much in the dark, I knew it would be my cocky, tempting neighbour. My assumptions were confirmed when the smooth voice called out to me, the smirk evident in his tone.

"Good evening, Miss. Swan."

The car door slammed and I could see him approaching me slowly, his hands wedged deep into his pockets. Damn, that man looked good in a suit. Okay, so maybe I couldn't really see him properly, but I could tell he was wearing a suit and I had seen him rocking one in daylight before. I have the image committed to memory.

"Edward." My response was somewhat curt, but I was going to lose my feet soon.

"How kind of you," he murmured, now only a few metres away.

"What is?" I questioned, a frown on my face. God only knew what he was on about.

"To light up the whole street and save the good people the energy costs." He teased, ceasing his approach when there were a few feet between us.

"I'm just doing my bit, out of the goodness of my heart." I answered wryly, stepping from foot to foot, hoping it would warm my feet. He looked down and with his proximity, I saw his smirk become more defined.

"You decided to forgo shoes, I see." I rubbed one foot on top of the other, hoping the friction would create heat.

"They're overrated, right?"

He hummed in response, not sounding all too convinced, but neither was I. My arms wrapped around my torso, trying to hold in the warmth.

"I should let you get in, I don't want you to get sick on my account."

"Thank you, you're ever so kind." There was no hiding the sarcasm in my tone as I edged slowly towards my house, doing a crab-like sidestep.

"There are many ways you can thank me for my generosity." He declared suggestively.

"Wow... I'm sure there are. Why don't you write a list and I'll see what I can do." I answered with faux-enthusiasm, getting further from him.

"I'll do that. Have a nice night, Miss. Swan."

"You too."

My pace quickened for the last few steps and I was finally in my house. My dinner was ready and I switched off the stove, plating it up and taking it through into the front room. I curled up on the sofa, cocooning my feet in a thick blanket and switching on the television.

I relished the heat of the food and the full belly that came with it. I was content to sit and watch some t.v. shows, lying down on the sofa with my head propped on the armrest. Before long my eyelids were becoming heavy and I was fighting sleep. My eyes were half closed as I watched the television and I sighed when the screen started crackling with static, flicking between the show and a black screen. I was too tired to move, so I waited for it to sort itself out, my back arching as I stretched and yawned.

When I was faced once again with the looming face of the carnival clown I jumped, diving for the remote and jamming the off switch. The head disappeared, along with the only source of noise in the house, other than my deep breathing. I clutched a hand to my chest and fought back the tears.

"Fuck, double fuck." I let out on a shaky breath, drawing my knees up to my chest and resting my forehead on them. My body shuddered uncontrollably and I sat rocking on my sofa, the perfect picture of insanity. That's what I was; Insane. Beautifully insane. My hands clutched at the seat as I let my thoughts run riot. All I could see behind my closed lids was the long, thin red lips, rosy cheeks, round, red nose and green hair.

...

"Swan? You here?" I groggily peeled my eyes open and glanced around the room, somewhat bewildered. I hadn't made it to my bed last night, it would seem. "There you are." I looked up and quickly unfurled my body, brushing my hair from my face and staring open-mouthed and ever so attractively at my neighbour.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, scrambling to my feet, trying not to trip over the blanket.

"Sorry... I just- your lights were still on... all night, in fact. I thought something might have happened..." Edward trailed off and I was surprised to see he appeared sheepish. That was an expression I'd never seen on him before.

"Shit, what time is it?" My eyes darted around the room, failing to find a clock.

"It's just gone half seven." He looked completely bewildered as he supplied that piece of information, and even more confused at the stream of expletives that were rapidly falling from my lips.

"Are you okay?" He asked, a crease in his forehead and one hand raking through his wayward hair.

"No, damn it. NO! I'm so late. _Shit_." I ran into the kitchen and retrieved my handbag, snatching up the car keys from the counter. I skidded to a stop infront of Edward, who was blocking off the doorway.

"I need to go!" I cried and he stepped to the side, allowing me to dodge past him towards the front door.

"Bella?" He called after me.

"What?" I responded, not even turning to look at him.

"You might want to change... and do something with your hair." He informed me and I took a few steps backwards so I could see myself in the hallway mirror. I groaned, tugging at my outlandish bed-head hairstyle.

"I just want to die a little bit. _This_ is not good." I grumbled to myself, smacking my palm against my forehead.

"Look, I'm sure they can cope with you turning up at a normal time just this once. Just breathe for a second, go and grab a shower and get dressed. You don't want to be turning up to work in a walk of shame state, rumours will fly." I saw him wink at me over my shoulders.

"You're insufferable!" I huffed, but conceded. I didn't waste any time running up the stairs, my fingers fiddling with the buttons on my blouse.

"Do you want some music to accompany that strip tease, Swan?"

"Fuck you, Cullen." I yelled, shutting myself in the bathroom, not caring that I had left Edward Cullen unattended in my house. _God,__he__better__not__touch__anything._

Twenty minutes later I was presentable, with my hair tied up in a bun and my favourite cream dress on. I'd applied a touch of mascara and left it at that, deciding I didn't have time to waste. I padded down the stairs with my heels in my hand and made my way into the kitchen in search of a banana and my travel mug. When I smelled coffee I was confused. Upon further inspection, I found my travel mug already filled with coffee and a note beside it.

_You can't go wrong with coffee. Take a deep breath and have a good day at work, Swan._

_P.s. The beacon is out._

I touched the paper, surprised at the kind gesture from the King of Cocky. It's not the best name, I admit, but it suits him. I hadn't noticed that he turned all of the lights out, but I appreciated it. My "beacon" hadn't been much use after all but tonight Alice and Rose would be here and I could forget about yesterday.

I dashed out of the house with a half eaten banana and my morning caffeine hit, allowing my eyes to linger on the house next door and the empty driveway. Maybe I had underestimated him. I shook my head. Of course not, he was being neighbourly. It was the first time that had happened. It won't happen again.

By 8:15am I was at work and gaining curious glances from my colleagues. Yes, this was the latest I had ever arrived. So shoot me, I had work to do. No rest for the wicked, as they say.

When I entered my office, Alice was perched in my desk chair, one eyebrow raised and her hands tented on the desk. It was a strange thing to find, but I resisted the urge to laugh.

"Where have you been, young lady? I was beginning to think you were sick!"

"No, I'm fine, I was just running a little late today. I guess I fell asleep on the sofa and my alarm was upstairs."

She gave me a funny look before nodding and standing up. She crossed the room and gave me a hug.

"I'm glad you're okay. Happy Halloween and don't forget about tonight, by the way!"

With that parting message she left my office, shutting the door behind her. I had no qualms about approaching my computer and when there was no ominous face staring back, I felt even better and far more relaxed. Nothing was stopping me from pretending yesterday hadn't happened.

My day passed quickly and in what seemed to be no time at all, it was time to leave. I grabbed my jacket and my bag and left along with everyone else, knowing I needed time to set everything up before Rose and Alice were due at mine in two hours.

I flipped Mike Newton off in the most professional manner I could muster when he commented to Eric Yorkie, in a hushed tone, that it must be Halloween if I'm behaving like a regular employee because, and I quote, "that right there is some freaky shit."

As I drove back home, I found myself in an unusually good mood.

Edward pulled into his drive only a few seconds after I did and when he climbed out of his car, I chose to ignore his taunting words. Just to be clear, when I say ignore, I mean I told him politely to suck my dick and walked away. See, proof of my good mood. Normally I would have been far more obnoxious.

After I had drunk another mug of coffee, I set about cleaning my house and tidying away the general clutter that had accumulated. I didn't want the girls thinking I was a complete slob. Ha. They already knew, but there is no need to reinforce that point.

I brushed my hair, wiped my face clean and changed into jeans, an old, much-too-short-for-me black tee and a knitted grey cardigan. With my comfy clothes on, I wandered through to the den and faced my ever-growing DVD collection. After picking out five films I placed them on the coffee table and glanced at the clock. With only five minutes to go, I grabbed plates, glasses and cutlery to waste time and further prepare us for the evening ahead. It was a couple of minutes before seven when the doorbell rang and I opened the door to find both of my best friends grinning on my doorstep.

"B!" Rose pulled me into a hug while Alice shuffled around us both, darting into my home and out of sight.

"Aaaaand she's off!" I giggled, closing the door and leading Rose through to where I assumed we would find the small, ninja-like woman.

"How are you?" Rose asked, nudging my shoulder.

"I'm great, thank you. What about you? It's been too long."

"Brilliant, thanks. Busy, as usual, though. It was hard to fit in that phone call with Alice where she mentioned your hot, fuckable neighbour is gay, but I squeezed it into my schedule."

"Oh great, I bet that made her day." I answered, completely ignoring the main part of her sentence and the not-so-subtle way she incorporated it into the conversation.

"Yeah... I'm sure it did. Now quit dodging the point, woman. I don't think I can believe that the hot hunk of man meat is gay. Seriously? No, he's not. God isn't that cruel, I'm telling you.

"If only, but it's a cruel world."

I'm going to hell. When they find out that I was bending the truth to extreme proportions, they are going to kill me.

I'll be Satan's new best friend for life. Oh, God.

Rose sighed, rubbing my shoulder in sympathy.

"That it is, B."

We finally found Alice in the kitchen with a bottle of wine already uncorked and two glasses filled with the deep red liquid.

Rose began opening up tubs of Chinese food and I set it all on a tray, bringing it through so we could veg infront of the television with everything we needed.

We were stuffing our faces in a ladylike way as we watched the first film and by the end of it, I was not only full, but a little bit tipsy.

By the end of the second film I had finished off the prawn crackers and more wine and found myself needing the toilet. I used the one downstairs, seeing the staircase as an effort my food baby just couldn't handle.

I was halfway out the door, on my way back to the land of horror films, food and booze, when I thought I saw something in the reflection in the mirror. I was turning back to have a look when I heard the front door open and I dismissed my faulty eyesight and poked my head out of the bathroom door.

Alice smiled at me and bounded away, leaving behind Edward. I didn't know how to react to him being in my house again and went for something simple.

"Hi."

_What can I say, I've got articulate covered._

"Hey, sorry to intrude, your friend let me in."

I was still stood in the doorway to the bathroom when I heard a faint cackling behind me, I twisted my head and found nothing, telling myself it was just the television I was hearing somehow.

"Not a problem, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, fine. I just came to check you're alright, you seemed a little... different this morning."

The laughter continued and goosebumps prickled my skin, making me wrap my arms protectively around myself.

"Nothing to worry about, it was just one of those days. Thank you for everything this morning, it was nice of you."

"My pleasure. Did the office collapse without you there at seven?" His teasing was lost on me as I saw something out of the corner of my eye and felt a chill hit my body.

"One second, sorry..."

I turned and re-entered the bathroom, the door ajar behind me as I scanned the small space. I took slow steps towards the mirror and screamed when the face of the carnival clown flashed onto its smooth surface, the words "I can see you," written in blood red.

I screamed, scrambling away from the mirror and into Edward, who was stood as still as a statue, staring at the image. He shook himself out of it and tugged me through the doorway and into the next room, my quiet sobs now the only sound.

Edward's arms were wrapped tightly around me and my fingers dug into his arms. My whole body was shaking and I couldn't control the tears that poured.

"Shh, it's okay, I'm here." He rubbed soothing circles on my back, shifting me so we were seated on a sofa in the front room.

I clung to him shamelessly, afraid and frozen in place.

"No, no, no." I chanted, shaking my head, which was pressed into his shoulder. He continued to hold me in his lap, rocking me and soothing me.

Eventually, he pulled back a little, lifting my chin with his finger and meeting my gaze with his own serious stare.

"Please, no." I mumbled, not sure of what I was saying, but knowing I didn't want to be alone right then. I forgot about my friends, tucked safely away a few rooms from this one.

"When I was younger, my mother used to tell me a story every Halloween." His voice was low and his fingers gentle as the stroked my cheek, brushing away the tears. "It was about the clown from the Armazzi brothers' carnival. The clown would hide in the hall of mirrors while it wasn't doing shows and it would scare the people who entered. Every Halloween, the clown would disappear, no longer in the hall of mirrors, and nobody knew where it went. Then there were rumours, people claiming to have seen the clown."

"That's not funny, Edward. This isn't a joke." I cried, shaking my head as I pushed away from him.

"No, Bella, listen." He grabbed my wrists and tightened his hold, refusing to let me move away from him.

"The clown could no longer leave the hall of mirrors, except for around Halloween. He would visit one person each year, scaring them, just as he did to those at the carnival. At the stroke of midnight on Halloween, he is said to appear one last time with a parting message for his victim."

"Why me? It's going to come back, I know it."

"I don't know, Bella. It's a mystery. I always thought it was a tale... I mean, fuck, that was just... that was fucked up. He won't come back though. It's after Halloween, that's it, his time is up for the year."

I couldn't get my head around it and a large part of me didn't believe him. No doubt he was making fun of me and he would go home and have a nice long laugh at my expense.

"I know you don't trust me, Bella. I've never given you any reason to, but I promise I'm telling you the truth. I'm an ass, sure, but after seeing you the past few days, I couldn't lie to you. I knew something was up."

His eyes were pleading with me to believe him, to understand, and the honesty I saw there couldn't be denied. I wrapped my arms around him and curled further into his chest, feeling much safer there than I had anywhere else since the whole fiasco had begun yesterday morning.

Before I could react, his lips gently touched mine. There was a tinge of pink on his cheeks when he pulled away and he apologised, averting his gaze.

"I- I don't mind." I whispered and he sought out my gaze, leaning forward slowly, giving me time to move, to pull away.

I didn't. I shifted myself so my lips could meet his. The kiss was slow and careful, soon progressing, becoming more hungry and frenzied as our tongues and hands explored. I moved to straddle his lap, leaning into his touch and tangling one hand in his hair while the other explored his chest.

From the past forty-eight hours, this seemed like the most surreal moment. Edward Cullen is my hot, unattainable asshole of a neighbour, not my sexy, caring and very attainable neighbour.

My hand paused at the hem of his shirt and when he didn't object, I pushed up the material upwards, exposing his toned and delectable abs. He helped me to lift his tee over his head, tossing it to the side and permitting me to trail my hands all over his skin. My moan was loud and whoresque and it was the exact moan I had been holding in ever since his voice had first caressed my eardrums.

His hands were gripping my ass and in my needy, whorish ways, I began rubbing myself over him, feeling him growing harder beneath me.

"Fuck, Bella." He groaned, raising his hips to meet mine. One of his hands snaked underneath my shirt, finding its way to my breast. His fingers brushed over my pebbled nipple and I gasped, thrusting my chest forwards into his touch. His hand cupped my breast, palming the soft flesh and teasing my sensitive bud.

"Oh God, so good." I whimpered, the pace of my hips quickening in my lust induced haze. I nipped and kissed along his jaw, tasting him. I sucked on the spot behind his ear and he cursed, bucking his hips.

We were both panting and wanting. His hardness felt amazing rubbing against my sensitive core and I could feel the wetness between my legs with the continued grinding.

A throat cleared behind me and I froze, my wide eyes meeting Edward's lust-filled gaze. He let out a frustrated sigh, releasing my breast seemingly reluctantly. I looked over my shoulder to see Alice and Rose watching us, eyebrows raised.

"You're telling me _he's_gay?" Alice questioned with disbelief and Rose snorted.

"Oh, fuck." I groaned, turning from them to rest my forehead on Edward's shoulder, hoping I had imagined them.

"What? Who told you I'm gay?" He asked her, utterly confused.

"Oh no." I muttered to myself, wishing the ground would swallow me up.

"Bella did." Alice's tone was smug. She knew she had just dropped me in it. Yes, I am going to hell.

"Oh, you're so going to pay for that, Swan." Edward growled in my ear, subtly tilting his hips into mine.

"To clarify for everyone, I'm as straight as a ruler." He announced to the room.

"I can tell, Mr. Cullen." I whispered to him, taking my revenge and rubbing against him as I moved off him.

"So... back to the films?" Rose asked casually and I nodded.

"Are you coming?" I asked, turning to Edward.

Rose and Alice walked ahead, leaving me with him.

"Sure, sounds good." He pushed himself up off the couch and adjusted himself.

"Do you plan on staring at my crotch all night? Just say if you want a picture." He smirked and my eyes flicked to his.

"Staring at it wouldn't get us anywhere, I had other things in mind." I purred, palming his erection through his jeans.

"Mmhm," He hummed, "Like what?"

"Watching a film. Come on." I answered cheerily, heading back to the den.

The frustrated growl behind me brought a smile to my lips and it grew when I heard his footsteps following me.

Tonight would be interesting, but I promised myself I wouldn't be the first to cave in.

If I'm going to hell, I'm taking Edward down with me.


	24. Day 31 OOEG

**Alright ladies and gentlemen...here is our last post, we have arrived at our 31st day! We at TFA hope that you have enjoyed the month and found a few new authors to read as well. So on with the show...  
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**Penname: One of Eddies Girls**

**Title: Witch Dream**

**Rated: T**

**Pairing: Edward / Bella**

**Word Count: 2848**

**Picture Prompt: #31**

**Summary: This Halloween will be the one that changes Edwards's life forever. **

He'd had the same recurring dream for as long as he could remember. It was the same on the same day every year. The image just changed slightly over the years, but overall it was the same. When he was a young boy the three witches all stood with long dresses in the middle of the road as he got older the dresses got shorter and the other two witches began to move to under the trees. Until all that was left was the one witch that taunted him the most. She stood in the shadows of the setting sun with her short skirt, long legs, her hip cocked to one side with her hand on it while her other hand held on to the broom that took her away from him at the end of each year. All Hallows eve had become one of Edward's favorite nights because he knew that he'd dream with his witches that night. Little did he know how much thing would change this year.

"I will be waiting for you at the end of the night Edward," her silky voice whispered in his ear.

"Wait! Where? You've never waited for me before. You've never spoken to me before." Edward chased after his mysterious witch before she could jump on her broom and fly away from him.

Another smaller, springy, bouncy, witch came up behind him squealing like a child hocked up on all the sweets in the world. "It's different this year Edward because your read to join us now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, as he watched her skip away from him. Edward was getting frustrated with all the half answers he was getting.

"It just means that you are now old enough to join us prince, your family has been anxious for you to reach age here in the mortal world before you could join us in your rightful place, prince." The tall angry looking blond informed him as she quickly passed him on her way to catch up with the other girls.

Edward awake with a start feeling so lost and confused by the dream he'd just had. This dream was definitely different from any other one he'd had over the years. That was the first time that the witches ever interacted with him in his dreams.

Edward lay in his bed just thinking over his dream for a while. Until he heard the sounds of his two roommates and best friends working about the apartment. He figured it was time he got up himself.

As soon as he made his way into the kitchen he was greeted by Emmett's boisterous voice. "Dude I can't believe the girls are finally going to be able to join us for a fucking Halloween party. I miss my fucking girl."

"What do you mean you miss your girl don't you see her all the time?" Edward questioned his friend.

"No dude, I don't get to see my girl as often as I want. Besides, this is Halloween its kinda one of the nights she usually has to work. She is getting off for this one because her and her sisters have finally finished what they had to do with the big boss. "Emmett tried to explain.

Edward was still quite confused even after the explanation that Emmett tried to provide. Jasper took pity on him and tried to explain a little more clearly. "See the thing is that in what Rosalie, Emmett's girl, Alice my girl and their sister Bella work in they have had to spend the last few years working on this day. This is the first year that they are finally going to get to relax for the holiday. Where we all grew up Halloween is like one of the most exciting times of the year, and it's sucked to have to spend it without our girls the last few years. You understand?"

"Yeah I got you dude. I'm sure it has been complete torture to have to endure one of your favorite holidays without your girl." Edward agreed.

They finished up the rest of their breakfasts and got ready for class. Emmett and Jasper only had one class that day so they would be in charge of getting the apartment ready for the party later.

As the day wore on Edward began to notice a few things that he'd never seen before. The main thing being that he started to notice the way people looked at him. Maybe it was the dream that the witches left him thinking about, but who knew... he sure didn't.

The people were looking at him as if he had the answers to the world's problems in his hands. He also noticed that the women looked at him as if her were a piece of steak left a lion to eat.

He wasn't naive enough to not know he was good looking but the hunger in the women's eyes had never been present before.

Soon his day was over and Edward was able to go home to help Emmett and Jasper with setting up for the party. Walking into the apartment Edward was surprised by the three women that were walking around his living room. Blinking then rubbing his eyes Edward was sure his eyes were playing tricked on him, because right there standing in his line of site were the three witches of his dreams. Only they weren't dressed as witches; the tall blond had on a short sleeveless sundress, the short pixie looking one had black tight capris and a flowing pink blouse. But the one that Edward couldn't take his eyes off of was the brunette with her wavy brown locks. She was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a tight white cami. She looked as if she glowed to him; she was the one that always caught his attention even in the late night dreams, year after year.

Edward was so lost in his thoughts and starring he didn't notice when the smaller of the three women walked up to him; all he noticed was the sudden arms that wrapped around his waist.

"Oh, my God. Edward it's so great to finally meet you. My Jazzy talks about you all the time. It's so nice to finally be able to talk to you in person. Isn't this day just so exciting. I love Halloween and this Halloween will be the best one yet! Finally a year the girls and I can spend it with our guys" Alice yammered excitedly. Edward wondered if she'd even taken a breath in all that time. He couldn't help thinking what a lively person she was and how she contrasted to Jaspers' calm serene demeanor.

"Hello! I take it your Jasper's girl." Edward addressed the small woman still clinging to his waist.

"Oops," she giggled. "Yes, I'm sorry. I'm Alice and these are my two sisters Rosalie and Bella." she pointed first to the blond then to the brunette that held Edwards attention.

Each girl looked up as Alice introduced them, Rosalie just barely acknowledged Edward, giving him a quick wave before going back to what she was doing. Bella looked up blushing a pretty rose color then turning away to work on something Edward couldn't see from where he was standing.

Both Rosalie and Alice noticed the way that Edward's eyes lingered on Bella longer than on either of them. Making them both feel good that the price wouldn't need too much convincing. He and Bella were arranged to marry after all. Looking over at Rosalie, Alice gave her a significant look instructing that they should make their way out of the room.

"Alice can you give me a hand getting the decorations from the car?" Rosalie asked clearly understanding the look.

"I can go with you," Bella volunteered.

"No, sweetie that's okay. Alice and I will get them. Why don't you and Edward finish moving the furniture around." Rosalie instructed.

Bella's eyes widened slightly at the thought of being left alone with the prince. She knew that he knew nothing of what was going tonight. Everyone but Edward knew that, that night would be the day he'd be crowned and take his rightful place as the price of witches and wizards. Edward had been purposely kept in the dark about his true identity so that he'd grow up as a normal child should. They needed him to age until he was twenty-one otherwise he'd be stuck as a child in their world. Bella was afraid that she would give away the secret; she'd always been so bad at keeping secrets- especially one as big and important as that one.

Edward was completely oblivious of what was troubling Bella, all he could think about what how beautiful she was and if she was attached to anyone. Alice had hinted to the fact that they were all getting a chance to be with their men that night. Taking a chance Edward tried to start a conversation with her, "So, how long are you and your sisters going to be here?"

Bella blushed, her pretty pink again before she answered his question. "We are all here for just the night, then we have to go back home."

That news slightly saddened Edward; he was hoping to have time to get to know Bella. Emmett and Jasper always spoke of how their girls lived so far way and they never got to spend any time with them. Feeling deflated because of the information Edward didn't say anything else to her, he let them work in silence just following her lead of where all the furniture needed to be moved.

By the time Emmett and Jasper walked in with Rosalie and Alice most of the furniture had been pushed to one corner of the room. The six of them worked quickly to make the living room look spooky. Streamers cut into the shapes of black and orange pumpkins and white ghosts were taped in a criss cross on the ceiling. White cheese cloth was hung along the walls to resemble spider webs, with a few small spider rings sewn into it. A large plush spider was hanging from the center of the ceiling as well. Emmett had brought home from one of his classes a human skeleton that Jasper propped in a corner close to the refreshment table with a cup in one hand and a plate in the other. Pumpkins with bats carved into them and other Halloween designs sat on the tables with candles glowing inside of them. Rosalie changed out the light bulbs in each of the lamps in the room to black light to give everything a dark luminescent glow. The final touch was a few plastic bloody body part put strategically, in just the right places.

Once, they were finished with all the decorating the couples along with Bella decided it was time to clue Edward in on what was going on. Especially because all of the guest for the party that evening were in on what was about to happen. Many of them excited to finally be able to relax and be themselves. Little did Edward know that every person he'd ever interacted with in his life was there to help him along in his journey, as well as to keep him safe from any harm. The King and Queen had enemies that would love see their demise, so with that in mind they'd come up with a plan on how to keep their son safe. The last of which included having Emmett and Jasper keep an eye on him. Bella, Rosalie and Alice's job was to help awaken his awareness to who and what he is. The limitation to that was that they could only be seen through his dreams.

So Emmett was the first to speak, he told Edward who he really was letting everyone else add their own part of the story to it. As each person spoke all Edward could think about was that it had to be some kind of twisted trick. How could it be that everything he'd believed his whole life was now a lie. Edward made his unhappiness known, he yelled and raged against what they were telling him. When that didn't dissuade them he laughed claiming that it had to be a joke. After about an hour of going back and forth of the group trying to explain and Edward laughing it off, he got fed up and walked out.

"You have to convince him that this is real Bella," Jasper calmly explained.

"Me? Why me?" Bella questioned.

"Simple because he likes you, he will believe what you tell him to be the truth," Rosalie said as she tried to nudge Bella in the direction Edward'd gone.

With a heavy sigh Bella let the pleading looks on all their faces convince her to talk to him.

Walking into his room Edward raged against what he'd been told. He couldn't believe his two best friends would tell him such lies, that they'd play such cruel joke on him and to add insult to injury have the girls say it was true.

As Edward sat fuming and fighting, Bella wondered how she was going to convince him it was the truth. She contemplated all the tricks that she had but none of them sounded convincing enough to try. So with no other option she decided that the sleep spell would be the best thing to do.

Edward found himself unable to keep his eyes open all of a sudden. He made his way to his bed and promptly fell in to a deep sleep.

As soon as she knew he was asleep Bella inserted herself into his subconscious and dreams.

"Prince what we speak is the truth. We have no desire to deceive you," she explained. She was back in her witches outfit standing in the road they always showed him in his dreams. "Follow me and I promise to show you our home."

Edward looked at the hand she'd offered trying to decide whether he should go or not. Coming to the conclusion it wouldn't do any harm he accepted the proffered hand. Almost as soon as their hands touched he found himself transported into another world. This place was full of people dressed similarly to how Bella was dressed. Some with longer dresses and others with shorter ones, but all pretty much in the same classic witch garbs. The men he noticed were dressed in black shirts and black jeans. The older gentlemen looked to be wearing something over their clothes but Edward couldn't decipher what it was exactly.

As they walked hand in hand through the town Edward noticed that everyone bowed down to him. Many calling him prince before doing so, "As you can see Prince Edward. We didn't lie to you, this is where you belong. The only thing that we did was let you grow up in the mortal world so that the last part can come to light."

"And what is this final part?" Edward asked her.

"The only thing that is missing is that after you have been crowned you are to be married." Bella explained.

"Married?" Edward wasn't sure he liked the idea of having to marry someone he didn't know. "And who is it that I am supposed to marry?"

Bella blushed her pretty pink color before she looked at him and shyly saying "Me."

Edward's heart jumped for joy knowing that he would have to spend all eternity with the one woman that had always captivated him. Even when he didn't know she was real.

"Well then in that case, how can I not want this?" Edward stated as he brought Bella close to him, taking a moment to kiss her passionately.

Bella ducked her face against Edwards chest hiding her blush and the reaction Edward's lips against hers caused; she was flushed and breathing heavily.

"Come Bella get us out of here, and let's get me crowned," Edward said as he ushered them back to the road.

"All you need to do is wish us home and wish yourself awake Prince. That is how we can get home faster," she instructed.

Edward wished them back home, and then he walked out of his room to find Bella waiting for him just on the other side of his door. They walked hand in hand into the living room where the rest of their friends were waiting. Edward apologized for over reacting, and then thanked them all for everything they'd done for him over the years.

Soon enough the party was underway, everyone greeted Edward properly. They were all very anxious for the crowing ceremony. Not only was the prince finally joining them, but the King and Queen would also be there. The ceremony was as spectacular as everyone thought it would be. Then soon afterward Edward asked Bella to marry him.

At the end of the night everyone headed back into the witches world. Where they enjoyed years together.

THE END.


End file.
